


Not Just A Guard-Dog

by ThePurpleChronicler



Series: After Series - American Horror Story: Coven [1]
Category: American Horror Story: Coven
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-06 01:33:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 36,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13400646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePurpleChronicler/pseuds/ThePurpleChronicler
Summary: Ever since Kyle was 'fixed', he's been distant from everything. And Zoe is determined to find out what's wrong if it's the last thing she does. The future of Zoe and Kyle, as well as the future of the Coven of Miss Robichaux's Academy. Contains Language, Romance, Angst, Violence and Supernatural.





	1. Not Just A Guard Dog

It's two in the morning, and Zoe lays in her bed alone, unable to sleep. Ever since Fiona 'fixed' Kyle, he's been distant from her, and especially Madison. Zoe wipes her eyes in frustration, hating her current sleeping habits. She wonders where Kyle is and why he isn't sleeping beside her, cuddling up to her body like he normally does. Madison is fast asleep in her own bed, a rarity in Zoe's eyes. She tosses and turns on her bed, grunting and screeching in anger.  
"Where are you, Kyle?" she sighs, getting up off her bed and onto her sock covered feet.

Zoe opens the door and slips through a small crack, trying hard not to wake up Madison. She intends on finding Kyle and questioning him for the past few days. Zoe tiptoes down the hall of the house, almost tripping over the smallest prints of the rug. She stops in her tracks and closes her eyes, trying to feel Kyle's extremely familiar presence.  
"C'mon, Kyle," she sighs again, she misses him badly.  
She begins to feel something familiar, a warm presence that (most likely) belonged to Kyle. She follows it down the hall and to the door that conceals the entrance of the balcony. She slides the door open and walks out quickly but quietly.

"Kyle? You here?" she says, looking around in the dark places that the moonlight doesn't reach.  
There's a pause of silence, but then she hears a dark voice of the person she wants most. "Hi."  
She turns to see Kyle sitting in the corner of the balcony, alone and looking cold.  
"Kyle. What are you doing out here?" Zoe asks, her hazel eyes trying to find his brown ones.  
"I'm 'guarding'," he pauses. "Like a good dog."

Zoe rolls her eyes in sadness, she can't believe he just said that. Is that what it's been? The whole time?  
"What do you mean, Kyle?"  
"I'm the guard-dog," he snarls at her, startling her a bit. "Even Fiona said so."  
"Don't listen to Fiona," Zoe objects what he just said. "Why have you been distant for the past few days? I've been worried about you."  
"So? Someone cares about Frankenstein now, do they?"  
The words Kyle is speaking sparks a slight hand of hurt to Zoe's heart, causing her face to weep with sadness. Kyle's face seems upset and hurt, like a kid not being able to get what they want. What's happened to him?

"I'm a monster, Zoe."  
Zoe sadness turns to anger. "No, you're not Kyle!"  
"I killed Fiona's dog. And I killed my mother, the worst part is I remember doing it, why I did it. and even like it."  
Zoe is shocked at Kyle's words once again.  
"Why'd you do it?" she asks, sitting down beside him.

Kyle explains everything to her; the drugs, the constant battles with himself and his team, and the sexual abuse his mom used to construct herself to Kyle. He explains to Zoe that he killed her because he remembered everything she'd done to him in a single moment, and it all came out as a single outburst of rage. Kyle's honesty is crafted like burning-silver, causing the ravenous effect on Zoe's emotions, as well as his own.

"We've all done bad things, Kyle." Zoe caresses his cheek with her hand, trying to calm him down.  
He doesn't say anything, only drives his hand up and down her hand.  
"But the fact that I'd do more bad things makes me worse than others. But I'd do them all for you, Zoe. If anyone ever hurt you, I'd lose my mind. In all honesty, I'd kill anyone if they tried to hurt you, even Fiona or Madison if I had to. That's how much you mean to me. But at the same time, I feel like if I do something bad trying to protect you, I'd lose you forever."  
"You won't lose me, Kyle."

"I'm just a guard-dog, Zoe. Dogs generally sleep outside and listen for danger." Kyle's voice sounds hurt but calm.  
"You're not just a Guard-Dog. I'll rephrase that; You're not a Guard-Dog at all!"  
Zoe looks at Kyle; is eyes are teary, with one tear finding it's way past his eye scar and down his cheek. Zoe wipes it off with her hand, kissing his cheek with her soft lips. Kyle feels the warmth of her lips on his skin, making him shiver in the cold.

"What am I then?" Kyle asks Zoe, staring into her eyes.  
"You're something."  
There's a pause of silence on the balcony, they could both hear the cicadas clearly. Kyle's eyes start to move away from Zoe's, moving their way back to the distant buildings of New Orleans.  
"You're my something."  
Kyle's eyes seek their way back to Zoe, admiring her beauty. He kisses her cheek softly, closing his eyes while doing so.  
"When I saw you put that gun in your mouth in the greenhouse. My heart was aching with worry and agony. That's why I rushed to save you, Kyle; because I couldn't save you last time. And I don't think I could think about a life without you, Kyle."

Kyle pulls back from her cheek and looks at her. She stares into the eyes she's infatuated with, the ones she fell in love with at first sight.  
"I love you, Zoe," Kyle says, smiling at her.  
"I love you too, Kyle," Zoe says back, closing her eyes and moving her lips towards his.  
Their lips touch, binding the love they have for each other now, even stronger. Their kiss is long and passionate, sparking how they finally made up for everything.  
"I'm sorry, Zoe. For everything."  
She smiles. "C'mon, let's get to bed."  
Kyle takes her hand in his and they walk back to their bedroom, ready to sleep peacefully at last.


	2. Like A Man With Nothing

All I could think about was her. The bitch who let my Zoe die, the stupid Hollywood whore that wanted nothing more than to be the supreme witch. And that's what she did, she didn't anything, which included letting Zoe die. She died in front of me, and I couldn't do anything about it but watch. I screamed for help, but in reality, there was nothing anyone could have done about her death. But Madison could have brought her back. She could have! Zoe helped bring her back, but she didn't even think about returning the favour. And nothing would stop me from doing what I'm going to do next.

I walk up the halls of the second story of the house, walking to her room. I didn't care that my face was still stained with dried tears, this was personal, and I intended on making it worth my time. I walk through Queenie's room, entering the bathroom connected to Madison's room. Is she packing her bags? Leaving? No, she's not going anywhere. I stop and wait until she sees me. And when she does, she doesn't help the situation.  
"What do you want, dumb-ass."  
She words angered me more, making my voice sound darker and angrier as soon as I spoke.  
"You let her die." She walks towards me, and I grip her throat with one hand, making her startled with fear. I could literally smell her fear.  
"Why? Did you let her die?" My face is emotionless and gritty. I was pushed over the edge, this was it. I was as dangerous as a man with nothing, a man with a pointless life.

She tries to say something but words won't come out of her mouth. I drag her to Zoe's bed, both hands on her throat now. My rage is worse this time, because it's controllable, I know what I'm doing, but nothing will change what I'm doing. This wasn't like killing my mother, it was more personal. My Zoe's is dead and she refused to bring her back.  
"You know what it's like to be in the dark, and still, you won't help her. Why?"  
"I did it for us. I love you, I love you please." Her voice is so full of shit, I can taste it. It's so fucking bitter and full of it. She did this for us? There was no us.  
"You're not that good of an actress." It was my words that made it clear that she was a goner, there was nothing that could have saved her, no magic. Nothing.

Before she could say anything, I pushed my hands down on her wind-pipe, draining the air from her lungs. She was struggling, trying everything to escape from my grasp, but with no luck. I pushed down harder, she was drowning from lack of oxygen entering the lungs, and I started to feel the life start to drain from her. I shocked my head in a rage, grunting and shrieking as I was killing her. She was my third kill, and none of them felt as good as this one. All of my rage and sadness was being pushed onto her neck, and in a single moment, she was gone. I had killed Madison, and now I was in this empty room where the two girls that lived In it were both dead.

I turned to look at Madison's lifeless corpse again, but this time there was someone else in the room with us. He had long gritty looking hair, looked around his forties, with long nails and blackened teeth. He was caressing Madison's hair.  
"Who are you?" I ask, still raged up and shaken from killing Madison.  
"I'm the help," he simply said.

The man I had met was the previous butler for Miss Robichaux's Academy and was apparently murdered by Zoe, which wouldn't surprise me. She was a tough cookie. He took Madison's body, and planned on burying her body in a place nobody would find her, not even me if I tried, even though the last thing I'd want to do is find her pointless corpse. Now I'm left here, with nobody. I'm sitting pointlessly on the floor in a room of a house I'll surely be running from tomorrow morning, completely unsure as to what to do with myself. Now I had no purpose, no sense of desire. I was a mere presence in a house full of witches, people I didn't know existed three weeks ago. I'm not going to be their butler or any fucking shit like that. We lost Misty Day, I lost Zoe Benson, and nobody lost Madison.

The more I thought about the situation, the more is dragging me back to hell, my hell. Zoe's is probably worse than mine, she even said it. I was breaking her heart, over and over, and over again. She'd be tearing herself apart by now, and just the thought is making my eyes tear up. I have to tell them what I did to Madison. Cordelia and Queenie have to know, if I don't tell them, Cordelia with finding out using her second sight anyway. I clench my teeth together and breathe in heavily, time to face the inevitable.

I get up off of the floor and exit the room, walking through the halls of the house and eventually to the stairwell. I don't what Cordelia's going to do to me. Probably not burn me at the stake, I'm not a witch, but I think he'd think of a different way to punish me. My hands caress the rails of the stairs as I strut my way down them. I follow the sound of the girl's voices; they were quiet and unpredictable, extremely hard to hear. I enter the greenhouse when I notice something in an instant. Zoe's body is gone?

I stop when I finally enter the room, staring at the remaining women.  
"Where is she?" I growl, causing a shock to the two women in the room. "And where's Cordelia?"  
I could tell they were afraid of me, I'd be afraid of someone who's lost everything too. I grow impatient.  
"Uh- Ky-"  
"WHERE?!" I scream, starling Queenie and Myrtle Snow. I clench my left hand into a fist. "Where. Is. She?"  
I pick a nearby and hold it in my right hand.  
"I've had quite the bad day," I break the jar by crushing it, not caring about the cut it caused.  
"Kyle," Myrtle Snow gasps. "It's okay."

I mind begins to ache, I needed to know where she is.  
"No, no, no. It's not. Where is she? Where is my Zoe?!"  
"Cordelia's looking after her," Queenie says, her eyes seeking their way from staring at me.  
"Where?" I ask simply.  
"Where's Madison?" Myrtle Snow asks, making me, even more, raged up.  
"Madison's dead! I killed her. She didn't save Zoe. She always hated her, even when Zoe helped bring her back, she hated her!"

I can feel my tone growing furtherly aggressive and more uncontrollable. It's causing pain in my chest, my eyes, and my head. Myrtle Snow and Queenie look at me in shock, that was it for me. I told them about Madison's murder. I was a monster again. I could kill everyone in this room in a single outburst of rage, and feel nothing until long after the crime is committed. I can take it anymore, I'm about to leave and never return. I turn to the exit and begin walking out when I hear a soft voice.

"Kyle," the voice sighed, sounding nearly in distress.  
I turn to see her. Zoe? Standing next to Cordelia with now healed eyes?Am I dead? Did Queenie break my neck with telekinesis and I'm suddenly death-dreaming?  
"Zoe," I gasp, trying to hold in tear. With no success.  
I run up to her and take her in my grasp. I can feel her warmth again, her beautiful presence. God did I miss it, I thought I had lost it forever. I dig my head into the shoulder of her black dress, crying into it uncontrollably. I couldn't stop myself. I wish I could, but I couldn't; she was here, my love was back and back in my arms. I take my head from her shoulder and stare into those beautiful eyes I love so much.  
"H-How?" I ask, wiping the tears from my face.  
She smiled at me, her face stained with tears too. "Cordelia's the Supreme. She brought me back," she pauses. "Fixing her eyes in the process."

I look at Cordelia, a smile crawling on my face in a thank you. I hugged Zoe again, tighter this time. But there was still something I had to do. I look at Cordelia.  
"Cordelia," I pause. "About Madison-"  
"I heard, Kyle. And I've come to the conclusion that you did it in another fit of anger."  
I look down at my feet, taking Zoe's hand into my own.  
"But this time it was justified. I believe you'd do anything to protect this coven, especially Zoe. So, instead of banishing you from the coven, I'm taking your title as a 'Guard-Dog' and instead, now you're one of us; a part of Miss Robichaux's Academy."  
I look up at her shockingly.  
"You will be a protector of Miss Robichaux's Academy, and have chores like everyone else, and In return, we will provide you food, shelter and among other things."

Cordelia smiles at me and looks at Zoe.  
"You have to protect each other from now on," she says.  
"Of course, Cordelia," Zoe smirks, kissing me on the cheek.  
I blush at the feeling of her kiss, and smile.  
I now have a purpose again, and I don't think I'll ever let go of my love, ever again.


	3. New Lives For New Love

And like that, things were going amazing for Kyle and Zoe. After the tragedy with Myrtle Show and the former council, Zoe and Queenie were now Cordelia's council members and high authority in the house. Kyle was a helper around the house but seemed to find joy in it, as long as Zoe was around. There had been four-hundred girls show up to audition for a place in the Academy, and we had no choice but to accept forty of those four-hundred. It felt unfair for Zoe and Queenie to only pick that many, but they came to the idea that the girls that weren't accept were still able to visit and be in safe hands. Kyle and Zoe's love were as strong as ever, and their relationship was only growing more powerful as the days go by. Weekends were free days for everyone, including Cordelia, the council and especially Kyle; who seemed to always want to plan stuff with Zoe. They coven's only concern was the number of threats being sent to the coven via mail, which would hopefully stop, and hopefully would be something less than hunters.

It was a Friday night and Zoe was so exhausted and ready for bed. Kyle and Zoe were giving one of the three master bedrooms in the house to share, Queenie had the other, and of course, the Supreme had her own. Kyle had just got into the shower of their own private bathroom when Zoe arrived. She was exhausted but was still mischievous. She quickly slipped off her clothes and jumped into the shower with Kyle, who nearly jumped by her sudden presence.  
"Jesus, Zoe!" he pauses. "Hmm, damn Zoe."  
Zoe rolls her eyes at Kyle's sudden wink, but she found it cute.

They'd spent ten minutes in the shower together; washing each other's bodies, touching each other and of course, kissing a lot, all things they both enjoyed indefinitely. Kyle gets out first, quickly drying himself and then holding the towel out for Zoe to wrap herself in. Of course, she didn't mind seeing her boyfriend naked, she loved it actually. Kyle hugged her from behind and kissed her neck furiously.  
"I'd ask, but I know you're exhausted. Plus, I have something planned for tomorrow." He kissed her again.  
"What is it?" Zoe giggled, turning to kiss his lips, making him squirm in love.  
"It's a surprise. You'll find out tomorrow."

They both dry each other with the towel and then fall in bed together, lips never parting. Zoe knew she could have sex with Kyle whenever she wanted to, her black widow wouldn't kill him, seeing he had already died. But then again, she wasn't really in the mood tonight, she was too exhausted, and she loved Kyle for knowing that. They both lied naked on their queen-sized bed, kissing and touching each other. Zoe giggled at her love's soft way of handling her, driving his hand up her thigh, then to her stomach and breasts, then eventually to her cheek. She loved it. She loved him. And she knew he loved her. Their lips were becoming one, caressing each other carelessly and without any hesitation.

"Kyle?" she said, breaking the kiss.  
"Yeah?"  
"You'll protect me, right? From anything?"  
"Fuck yeah, babe," he said, kissing her neck. Oh, how she loved the way he called her babe.  
He stopped kissing and looked at her. "Forever and always."  
They both slipped themselves until their blanket, Zoe positioning herself next to Kyle, cuddling him.  
"I love you, Zoe Benson," Kyle said, kissing the tip of her nose.  
Zoe smiles. "I love you too, Kyle Spencer."  
Kyle slips off the switch of the light, and together, they slowly drift off to a beautiful slumber.

Zoe woke up, noticing straight away that Kyle wasn't lying beside her, which made her a bit upset. She looked around the room for him, nothing. The shower wasn't going so she knew he wasn't in there. She wondered where he was, it was a Saturday, so what could he possibly be doing. She looked at the dresser, noticing a note stuck to the mirror.

Hey gorgeous!  
Gone out to get out some breakfast.  
Get dressed quickly because as soon as I get back  
We're leaving for our day.

Love Kyle :)

The note made her adore him even more, he was so cute and thoughtful and Zoe knew that for a fact. He was buying breakfast for her, something she never thought a boy would do for her, especially a boy as amazing her boyfriend. She pulls over the sheet, letting the sunburn on her warm naked body. She enjoys the sun for a few more minutes before slipping off into the shower, for once, without Kyle. She turned the handle, splashing the warm water all over her. This was another one of those perfect moments for her, she had everything she wanted, some things she never thought she'd have. She feels around her body. Her fingertips move around to the scar she suffered from being impaled on the fence. The scar terrified Kyle, making him scared to lose her again, and Zoe knew that beyond anything.

Zoe leaves the shower and grabs a towel from the towel rack. She smiled at her own reflection, she felt beautiful, something she rarely felt.  
"Beautiful, huh?" Kyle says from their bedroom.  
Zoe turns and smiles at him, admiring his chocolate eyes.  
"I guess."  
Kyle walks into the bathroom and wraps the towel around her, looking at her eyes and only her eyes. Zoe loved when he did that, showed how much he loved her, as much if not more than her body.  
He hugs her from behind and kisses her cheek.  
"I see beauty," he smirks, showing off the dimples Zoe adores.  
"I see us," Zoe said.  
"Want to know something, Zoe?" Kyle asks.  
"What?"  
"That's one of the things that will never leave my mind. Us."

Kyle smiled then walked back to their bedroom and sat at the small table they had in there. He was wearing casual clothing, a grey singlet, with black jeans and combat boots.  
"Get dressed, gorgeous We're leaving soon."  
Zoe walks out of the bathroom, walking to the closet and opening it.  
"You still haven't told me where we're going," she says.  
"Well, seeing Cordelia's out with Queenie. I was going to take you out for a little drive." Kyle's smile is mischievous and a little different, he wanted to surprise Zoe, something he hasn't been able to do because of all the interruptions. |  
"Like a date?" she winks.  
Kyle looks up at her, taking a bite of his egg and bacon roll and smiles. "Exactly!"  
"What'd you get us for breakfast?" Zoe says, smiling at her amazing boyfriend.  
"Egg and bacon rolls, Starbucks coffee and one pancake for each of us. So let's hurry up with you getting dressed, then we can eat and leave."

Kyle walks Zoe to the car Cordelia had provided the coven. This one for specifically for two people only; 718 Cayman Porsche. Zoe is stunned that Kyle knows how to drive this beauty of a car, but doesn't bother asking how. Kyle opens the door to Zoe's side and closes it when she looks nice and comfortable. He walks to his side, smiling at Zoe through the windscreen, so much in love with her, just as Myrtle Snow had said before she wanted to burn at the stake. But there was something in Kyle's face that seemed odd, and it wasn't the eye scar. He looked concerned about things, and one thing Zoe couldn't do was enter Kyle's head and find out that was concerning him.

"So? Where are we going?" Zoe asks.  
"You'll see," he laughs.  
Before Zoe could say anything else, he started the engine and flew past the gates of the academy. Zoe was blown away by Kyle's ferocity in the vehicle and the way his eyes didn't flinch as he drove. He was calm, controlled and happy. She couldn't do anything but stare at him; admiring his everything. She couldn't imagine a life without him, and that was something she tried her hardest to make uncontrollably clear. But the horrifying thought that would always cross her mind is, what if she lost him when he wasn't himself? How many people would he have killed? What would have become of him? Guarantee he'd accidentally hurt someone and the police would have no choice but to gun him down. The thought drew upsetting images into Zoe's head.  
"What's wrong?" Kyle asked.  
"Oh, um, nothing."  
"Zoe?" His voice always seemed to compel her.  
"It's nothing I swear," Zoe's voice cracked.

Kyle slowly pulls over the car on the side of the road, causing Zoe to become nervous and shaky.  
"Zoe? What's wrong?" He grips her hand with his.  
"Just bad thoughts, that's all."  
"That's all?" Kyle asks again, trying to get into her head.  
"Just alternative things that could have happened. Like me not finding you," she pauses, sighing heavily. "Like what could have happened to you. What you could have done."  
"Like killing someone?" He had read her mind.  
Zoe gulped in shock, she knew he had read her mind, even without magic.  
"The only reason I'd ever kill again is to protect you, and the coven." Kyle kisses her hand and then slides to her cheek. "Promise me, if that day ever comes, you won't leave me. I don't want to be a monster, but sometimes people do monstrous things for good measure. And I can't lose you for my silly actions."

The car goes ultimately, silent. The silence was intimidating for both of them. Kyle's heart was beating fast, close to hurting him, and Zoe wasn't as worried because she knew what she was going to say next.  
"You're never going to be a monster, Kyle. Not to me." She smiles, causing him to look up at her.  
"Promise?" He asks, eyes peering into hers.  
"I promise, Kyle."  
He smiles at her and slides his lips into the position of hers, causing them both to shiver in delight. The kiss lasted for a brief moment, but that's all they need. Kyle started the car again, purposely trying to shock Zoe. He laughed to himself and drove down the street, back on schedule for their date.


	4. A Feeling

They were driving through the beautiful streets of New Orleans, making Zoe's heart flourish with joy and love. Zoe couldn't believe Kyle was driving her around New Orleans, in a Porsche, for a date! While Zoe was infatuated with the scenery, Kyle was looking at her every now and again, admiring her childish joy.  
"Seriously Kyle!" Zoe screams, chuckling to herself. "Where are we going?"  
Kyle looks over at her and smirks furiously, saying nothing to his girlfriend.  
"Kyle?!" she yells, kissing him the cheek to try to suck up to him.  
"Yeah?"  
"You going to tell me? Or am I going to have to access your mind?" She smiles at him.  
"While I'm driving? Don't think that'd end well, Zoe."

Zoe was growing irritated by the anticipation of their date. She wanted to know where they were going, and why Kyle was trying to keep it from her so long. Kyle was still keeping quiet and ignoring every attempt for Zoe to get her answers, he was good and secretive like that, and Zoe easily got mad when she didn't get what she wanted. The more they flew in the Porsche, the further they got out of New Orleans, and into a scenery unknown to Zoe, nothing like the swamps of Misty Day's hut, something a lot different. It was when she started dozing off that Kyle got her attention again.

"Hey! Zoe! Stay awake, alright?" he said.  
"You going to tell me exactly where we're going? Because I'm not sure if I'll stay awake long enough to find out."  
"It's eleven a.m. surely you're not that tired!" he smiles.  
"Yeah, maybe I am!" she cracks back.  
He smirks at her silliness and took in a big breathe like he was going to explain something big.  
"We're going somewhere special, a place my dad used to take me before he died, and all the issues with my mom. I always used to come here, sometimes with my brothering, other times alone. It was a place that only I understood, but maybe that will change today."

His words were jewels to Zoe's heart, and now she felt bad for not being patient with him. He was so open to her, and to no surprise, nobody else, not like the way he was with Zoe. His explanation made her anticipation so much more unbearable, but after hearing his heart-warming explanation, she knows she has to be more patient with him. Now his eyes weren't as focused as when they were in New Orleans, either his explanation made him a little on edge, or he was trying to remember how to get to the special spot. Either way, Zoe was going to find out, like she always does.

"You alright, babe?" Zoe asks him. "You seem a little out of it?"  
Kyle looks at her and smiles. "Yeah. I'm just trying to remember the way. We're close though, I know we are."  
Zoe giggles that Kyle's commitment to finding the place, finding it adorable in every single way.  
"We'll find it."  
"I know, we just need to find a corner with a sign saying Swamp Hills," he says, realising he just gave away the name of the place. "Oh shit."  
"Sounds romantic," she teases, winking at him.  
"Zoe, don't let the name fool you! You'll see," he teases back.

Then they find it, the sign, with a corner turning left. Kyle nearly jumps in excited, speeding up in delight, clearly going over the speed limit.  
"Slow down, Kyle!" Zoe yells, laughing at the excitement Kyle was fuelled up on.  
"No way! We're almost there!"  
Zoe looks through the windscreen, seeing a fairly sized hill with beautiful and short green grass and probably a view like no other. It was called Swamp Hill, a name that didn't seem to quite fit its physical traits, as well as everything else Zoe has picked up from its sight. |  
"Kyle," she gaps, taking in the beauty of the hill. "It looks amazing!"

Kyle parks beside the soft looking road and turns off the engine. He then turns and looks at the beautiful girl sitting in the passenger seat, smiling.  
"This hill reminds me of you, y'know," he says, falling towards her and kissing her on the cheek.  
Zoe's face turns to confusion. "What do you mean?"  
"Well, the hill has always been beautiful, and from the moment I saw you at that party, I knew you were too."  
"Kyle!" she yells, crying into the sleeve of her cardigan.  
"Hey, hey!" Kyle smirks. "Don't cry, baby."  
"I'm sorry, it's just so amazing that you said that! I don't think any guy would have said that to me-"  
"Well. I'm not any normal guy, I'm technically a dead man, so, I think that accounts for something."

Zoe laughs at Kyle's remark as he exits out of the Porsche. Zoe slips on her favourite dark grey hat, matching the grey singlet and black jeans she was wearing for the date. She watched Kyle through the rear-view mirror, noticing him opening the boot of the car to get something out, causing her to lose sight of him.  
"Need help?" She asks him, smiling while saying it.  
Kyle slams the boot of the Porsche down, holding a large bag. "Nah, I think I'm good."

Kyle and Zoe had made their way to the top of the hill with the large bag of goods. Zoe was blown away by the view of the rivers and swamps close to New Orleans, as well as Kyle's knowledge of the entire place in general. Even after all the things that happened to him: the abuse, the death, the resurrection, and somehow, he still managed to hold onto the knowledge of his spot. The idea ridiculed Zoe's mind.  
"I love this," she says, holding onto Kyle's arm. "It's amazing!"  
"I'm glad you love it. Makes me really happy."

After a few minutes, they set up the picnic table using Zoe's telekinesis, while Kyle got the food from the bag. He was always reluctant to use her powers for things they could easily do themselves, but another part of him found her power sexy and easily one of the hottest things he'd ever seen in his entire life and what has been the beginning of his afterlife. They then both sat down on the table, with the food spread in a chronological order: from sweet to savoury. This was a date neither of them thought they would have, and it hasn't been disappointing so far.

"You've really outdone yourself this time," Zoe teases, cuddling up to Kyle. The weather was perfect, nice little warmth from the sun while the slow winds stopped them from overheating.  
"What can I say? Anything for the one I adore, he smiles.  
Zoe looks up at Kyle and kisses him gently on his lips, making the date they were on even better than before, if that was even possible. Their kiss was passionate and romantic, and in both of their eyes, magical, like a bed of roses in the middle of a field of snow. Their kiss wasn't going to end anytime soon, with what they started with turning into a battle for the dominance of their lips. They always play their own little game when kissing, always trying to see who was better at it, and who was the dominant one. It was something they loved doing, so it didn't matter what others thought about it.

After finishing kissing, they began to eat what they had brought, feeding each other playfully and giggling while doing so. Kyle told Zoe funny jokes and embarrassing times with his friends in high school, which made Zoe miss it a bit, she would have graduated if it wasn't for the introduction to the coven. but she regretted nothing. Zoe told Kyle about her problems in the high school she went to constantly be harassed by asshole guys, being the popular one, and always having to prove herself to her so-called 'friends'. Nobody was innocent in this world, and being at the coven taught her that. Even Nan murdered the bitch that used to live next door. Kyle wasn't innocent either, but he was something else. A shadow with a light inside.

"Jesus, Zoe. I'm not sure how you managed to survive that long at that school," Kyle groans, rolling his eyes at the assholes he can picture in his head.  
"Hey, it's okay now. I don't have to think about them anymore. I have Cordelia, Queenie, the girls at the coven, and most importantly, you."  
Kyle smiles at Zoe again and goes in for another kiss when her phone rings.  
"Sorry, Kyle. It's Cordelia."  
"It's okay, answer it. It's probably important."

Zoe grabs her vibrating phone from her pocket and answers it quickly, wiping the hair from her face while doing so.  
"Hey, Cordelia. What's up?"  
Kyle can hear the panic of Cordelia's voice over the phone, by the sound of things, it isn't good.  
"Zoe! The girls are back at the house, make sure you and Kyle get back before sundown!"  
"Why?! What's going on?" Zoe panics, wheezing against the phone.  
"We just got another threat. Turns out their hunters, and they're going to attack. Tonight.


	5. Preparing For The Inevitable

Zoe and Kyle rushed to the Porsche from the hill, grabbing everything they could before heading down. Out of any day they threateners could have chosen, it had to be the day of their date? They both thought it was total bullshit but Kyle seemed more concerned about getting home, untouched. It was only past lunch time when they got the call, now, an hour had passed, making Kyle's timing a little edgy. Kyle basically threw Zoe into the car and ran to the other side, hopping in the driver's seat as she put on her seatbelt.  
"Kyle?" Zoe says, panicking a little. "What are we going to do?"  
"Don't worry, baby. I'll get us back there."  
Zoe smiles at his absolutes, making her feel safer.

Kyle started the Porsche, roaring the engine to equal his panic before flying in a U-turn and heading back to New Orleans. Zoe jumps by the sound of the engine, the way Kyle was using I was more ferocious than driving to the hill. He was more primal but he was in control of the motions of the car, something Zoe couldn't say about his emotions.  
"I'm going to kill them, Zoe."  
"What?" She asks him.  
"I'm. Going. To. Kill. Them. All."

His tone was frightening but also mysterious for Zoe. She'd never heard him speak like that, but then again, he had told her that before he killed Madison, he didn't feel like he did before. Zoe grasps his hand softly, calming him down, but not completely. Kyle didn't turn to look at her, but she saw him smile, which added for something.  
Je"It'll be okay, Kyle." She says, comforting him.  
"I know," he sighs. "I just hope I won't have to do anything I don't want to."  
Zoe tightens her grip on his hand, eyes not leaving his chocolate brown ones.  
"I know you'll make the right decision. Doesn't matter what you do, you'll do it for good measure."  
"I really hope so," he groans.

Zoe and Kyle had been driving for a few minutes when he noticed something odd. A black car was following them, keeping its distance but following them with a moderate speed.  
"Zoe?" Kyle exhales.  
"What's wrong?" She answers him, breathing heavily.  
"Look in the rear-view mirror."  
Zoe looked up at the mirror, spotting the car straight away.  
"It's been following us for six minutes. There have been dozens of turnoffs, some were quicker ways to New Orleans, we were going to take a long way, but-"  
Kyle then turns off the next corner, cutting past a sign with the words: New Orleans, 8 Miles.  
"I'm going to test this asshole."

Zoe watches the rear-view mirror, Kyle with her. Their a good distance away from the corner, when, the black car turns the corner.  
"Fuck," Kyle spears, rolling his tongue in his mouth.  
"This guy isn't slowing down," Zoe states, watching the car indefinitely.  
"Can't you use telekinesis or Concilium to make him drive off the road?!" Kyle growls, startling Zoe.  
"Not in a moving car, I couldn't concentrate."  
"Alright, sorry baby," Kyle sobs. "Well, if he's not slowing down, we're speeding up."  
"What?!"

The car's engine roars louder than before as they speed, going from eighty-miles-an-hour to one-hundred-and-ten. Zoe gaps loudly at the sudden speed change, gripping Kyle's hand tighter in fear.  
"Slow down, Kyle!"  
"No way! Just keep your eye on the car behind us, tell me if it's still following us!"  
Zoe turns around to see the black car following them at a faster speed.  
"Shit! It's still following us."  
Kyle speeds up more, freaking Zoe out more.  
"I fucking knew this was going to happen!" he yells. "I knew it! Had to be on our date!"  
"It's okay," Zoe says. "Let's just lose this asshole."

A couple minutes had passed and they had the view of the academy. Kyle had driven like a madman the entire way back to the academy, all to lose the asshole who was following them, but with no luck. The guy was still following them, like a creep, like an asshole trying to get a laugh. Kyle didn't think it was so funny, neither did Zoe. Kyle opens the gate to the academy from the car and quickly drives in, parking directly next to the house on the lawn.  
"Zoe, get in the house. I'll join you in a minute."  
"Kyle?" he groans.  
"Please, just go. I'll be in the house soon."  
His voice was calming and trustworthy, compelling Zoe to do what he says for just this one time.  
"Fine," she sighs, kissing him gently. "You better be there soon or I'm coming back out."  
He smiles and kisses her back, this time it was rough but loving.

Zoe opens her door and breaks the kiss to look at him again, like it's the last time she'll ever see him, even though she knows that's not the case. She leaves and car, slowly finding her way away from her lover and to the house. She walks to the door and goes to open it when the door opens by the hand of Queenie.  
"Jesus girl! Where you been?!" Queenie yells, embracing her in a tight hug.  
"Kyle and I were followed here, so it's best we head inside quickly," Zoe explains, rushing through the door to see Cordelia standing at the entrance.  
"I'm so sorry, Zoe. I know you and Kyle were going out today, but I had to make sure you two were safe," Cordelia says, looking a little down and worried.  
"It's alright, Cordelia."  
"Where are the girls?" Zoe asks, walking towards upstairs.  
"They're all hiding in their rooms, tonight there's a curfew just in case there's an attack. I really hope not, I really-"  
"Cordelia!" Queenie yells, snapping her out of her worry. "You're the Supreme, you think a bunch of pussies like hunters are going to do much?!"

The door opens again, and Kyle walks in the door, holding a handgun.  
"Stupid fucking thing," he growls.  
"Oh hi, Kyle. Why in the Gemini are you holding a gun?" Queenie blabs, using her telekinesis to take it off of him.  
"Hey!" Kyle howls, getting angry over the snatching of the gun.  
"Where did you get it?" Queenie asks.  
"Found it upstairs and hid it in the car for safe keeping."  
Zoe looks at him angrily. "So why do you have it now?"  
"Because," Kyle snarls, pushing past the three women. "I'm taking it back upstairs."

Zoe watches as Kyle flights his way upstairs. He was stressed, which always results in extreme anger, but not the destructive path he used to inflict on the world around when he was freshly re-born. Zoe looked at Cordelia who was staring at Kyle as he walked up the stairs.  
"What?" Zoe gnarls, addressing Cordelia's staring.  
"You should be up there with him, tell him everything will be fine."  
Zoe can feel Queenie's hand caressing her shoulder with her soft hands.  
"Have your rest, come back when it gets dark, that's going to be the most threatening time," Queenie comforts Zoe. "But we'll be okay."  
"How are you so sure? How many hunters are even out there anymore?" Zoe asks, groaning vigorously.  
"If they've been spying on us. The joke will end up being on them," Queenie chuckles.  
Zoe looks at Queenie with confused eyes. "What does that mean?"  
Cordelia cleared her throat before explaining exactly what Queenie meant. "We've been keeping close eyes on what was left of the hunters. Most found themselves away from their former roles but it's been said that a few have stayed as the leaders of what's left. Doesn't who they are, I doubt they're well prepared for the power we hold in these gates.  
Zoe smiles at both of the women before transmutating upstairs to confront Kyle's anger and worry.

Kyle walks through the halls of the academy, hearing the clear and loud voices of the girls that were living in the house with them. They sounded like they were panicked and a little on edge, but Kyle didn't bother trying to attempt to calm them because that would just get their heads out of reality. Kyle sees his door but notices the sudden sound of gauzing air from inside, immediately recognising the sound of transmutation. He walks in anyway.  
"Hello Zoe," he says, seeing her sitting on their bed.  
"What's up with you?" Zoe immediately snarls at him, surprising him completely.  
"If you can't tell, I'm a little off edge, and saying 'little' was a complete and utter understatement. I'm a lot on edge, because the guy who was following us looked at me through the window, and he was holding a gun similar to my own," he explained, holding his gun tightly in his hand. "Clearly a threat."  
"Well, fuck those guys," Zoe snarls. "Well, if I do it will kiss them faster."

Kyle rolled his eyes at her joke and placed the gun on the table beside him, before walking towards his girlfriend. He was walking slowly, trying hard not to rush himself at her or stress her out more, he wanted her to be as calm and happy as possible, despite the circumstances.  
"I'm sorry, I need a little humour in my life. I'm just stressed," he says, embracing her in a very tight hug.  
"It's okay, I promise. I know you're stressed," she pauses. "Cordelia says we should rest so we're prepared for the possibility of an attack."  
"But-"  
"No buts, Kyle." She was deadly serious, and Kyle picked that up the moment she said it.  
"Fine."

Kyle then lays down on their bed next to the sitting Zoe, who smiled at his childish attitude. He covered most of his head with a pillow, but not enough to muffle his voice from Zoe. He was groaning and bickering like a small child, but after all the shit he had to put up with today in the car, he sort of deserved to.  
"We'll be okay," she says, leaning down and laying next to him.  
"I'm sorry for the ruined date," he groans. "We'll organise another one."  
"It's not your fault," she smiles. "There's something you could have done about it."  
Silence consumes the room, and the young couple lay beside each other, embracing one another as the rest.  
"Zoe?"  
"Yeah, Kyle?"  
"Whatever happens tonight, I want you to know that I'm going to protect this coven, especially you, no matter what. I will do whatever it takes to make sure everyone stays safe," he pauses. "Whatever, it takes."

Zoe looks around at Kyle and grips his hair, pulling him into an unexpected kiss. Not to her surprise, he joined the kiss as soon as she touched his lips, caressing his tongue in her mouth.  
"Jesus, Kyle," she groans, kissing him harder.  
Kyle tears the pillow off of his head and drags himself on top of her to kiss her even harder, placing his soft hands up here shirt and onto her breasts.  
"Squeeze them, Kyle," Zoe begs, tearing her hands onto his back.  
"Yes, Ma'am," he winks, doing exactly what she told him to do.  
Zoe moans at the feeling of his hands on her but suddenly feels his arousal through his jeans.

"Sorry, Zoe," Kyle gasps, face glowing red in embarrassment.  
Zoe laughs at his embarrassment, kissing his cheek lovingly.  
"I love you, Kyle."  
Kyle smiles at the most beautiful girl in his life. She really had no idea what she meant to him, he'd killed for her, he loved her more than anything, and he couldn't picture a world without her, without Zoe Benson.  
"I love you too."  
Kyle's hand slide down the beautiful hair he found ultimately mind-blowing, mostly because it belonged to the girl he never thought would be his. His face looked ridiculed and just so out it every single time he looked at her, which always managed to turn to stare. The way they always looked at each other, the way he spoke to her, there was no doubt that they indefinitely and ultimately, in love.

The young couple had spent the rest of the afternoon resting beside each other like there was really nothing to worry about in their little life together. But they both knew they couldn't ignore the threat that was out there, and everything that was threatening the coven, Kyle planned to get rid of. It was quiet, and Kyle was wide awake but didn't plan to interrupt Zoe's slumber, so he just laid there, that was until he heard the door open. It was Cordelia.  
"Kyle?" Cordelia says, basically asking permission to come in.  
"Yeah, feel free to come in," he says quietly. "Is it time?"  
"Moonlight is near its peak, and the girls are ready."  
"Ready? For what?" he asks her quietly, confused.  
"Well," she pauses. "If we do get attacked-"  
"No way, Cordelia. I know I'm not even a warlock or anything, but they're too young and most of them haven't perfected one power yet."

Kyle caresses the cheek of his love to wake her up but to no success.  
"I'm going to have to wake her up," he whispers, looking at Cordelia.  
"I'll leave you to it then, you two will meet us downstairs in five minutes," she explains, find herself out of the room.  
Kyle smiles at the peaceful sleeping Zoe but decides to ruin it playfully with a despicable idea. He starts to push her off the bed when she wakes up and pounces on him unusually quick.  
"Nice try, asshole," she says, giggling and kissing him on the lips.  
"We have to be downstairs in five minutes," he explains.  
"So," she pauses, looking down. "We're going to have to go down?"  
Kyle nods in response, kissing her on the tip of her nose, which was something she loved him doing. He held his hand out to her, smiling, getting her to take his hand in hers. They both leave their room, closing the door quietly and into the halls, that was disturbingly quiet.  
"Where the hell is everyone?" Zoe whispers, looking suspicious.  
"Cordelia has this bright idea, she can explain it to you, because I'm surely not going to."

All the way down the stairs, Kyle couldn't stop chuckling to himself, which was annoying his girlfriend, something that initially didn't stop him from continuing.  
"What's so funny?!" she snarls, pushing him playfully and making him chuckle louder.  
"I see you two have decided to come down from your lover's room," Ciri giggles, causing all the eyes of the new girls on them.  
Ciri was one of the fond leaders of the new girls. Everyone looked up to her, and she wasn't like Fiona. She wasn't cruel and hurtful in any way, but she was definitely far from being the next supreme, every one of the new girls was.  
"Oh shut it!" Zoe demanded, smiling a little.  
"Why? Worried you'll embarrass Kyle?" Another girl named Rhi said.  
Kyle could see that Zoe was getting embarrassed and annoyed at the girls, so he decided to bring it to an end.  
"Come on, girls. That's enough," he growls, causing the girls to quiet instantly.  
Kyle never knew if they feared him, or loved him. It was a puzzle to him, but one he would never let get between his relationship with Zoe.

"You two," Cordelia speaks. "Over here please."  
They both make their way to the front of the meeting, which happened to be close to the front door in the main room of the house. They knew how it usually goes; their roles were different, so he had to walk off to the side, while the supreme and the council stood in front of their trainees.  
"Care to share why the girls are out here?" Zoe whispers at Cordelia in confusion.  
"This is a battle, Zoe. We have permission to defend the house if we're ever attacked, I made sure of that with the police and higher authorities."  
"We're all in this together, Zoe," Queenie adds, looking at her beloved sister.  
"We're not risking the lives of the girls," she snarks, defying the plans.  
"Who will we risk then? Just Kyle? Just me? There's no way that we're letting anyone die, not alone." Cordelia's words sound harsh even to Queenie, who tended to only find racism and Madison's presence harsh, which both seemed to be gone.  
"Nobody's going to die," Zoe says seriously. "Nobody."  
"You're right, Zoe. I'm sorry, we're just safer together. No matter what, and we have to tell the girls that. We can manifest our power as one, and the hunters or whoever they are, won't stand a chance," Cordelia explains.  
Cordelia turned to the girls and started to speak to them about the situation, the words were slipping from the attention of Zoe, but she knew her words were bringing hope to the girls.

Zoe turns to see a saddening sight; Kyle's staring at the clover tattoo on his arm. She could almost taste the sadness in his eyes, which were beginning to water a bit. He hated the tattoos he was holding on his skin, well, really the skin didn't originally belong to him, but he hasn't decided to laser them off yet. He wasn't sure if he would. He was mouthing words to himself, not realising that she and God knows who else was watching. Zoe took towards him when something goes off; like a loud noise that suddenly followed with the burning feeling in her chest. She heard the glass on the door smash and turned to see a hole through it. She looked down at her chest and saw blood gushing out of the hole that was recently endured on her chest. She looked at Kyle who was staring back in disbelief. It was then obvious to her, that she had been, indefinitely, shot.  
"Kyle?" she blurts, before falling to the ground.  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Kyle roars.


	6. Letting The Leash Go

The situation was flooding Kyle's mind like a broken dam, like thoughts slipping through breaks of the human skull, and it was already taking its toll on him. Zoe had been shot, right in front of him, and he couldn't do anything about it. It happened so fast and so unexpected, nobody would have ever predicted that was going to happen, not even Cordelia. Blood was everywhere. Zoe's blood was everywhere. All over her, all over him, and all over the floor. And Kyle knew that If they were going to save her, they had to act quickly.

"Zoe," Kyle wails, taking off his jacket and press it against the bullet wound. "ZOE!"  
Cordelia and Queenie had rushed to Zoe as Kyle took his jacket off. They knew how much stress the situation was inhibiting its way onto Kyle, so they knew he was going to need help.  
"We're here Kyle. Queenie, get some bandages quick!" Cordelia screams, making Queenie rush out of the room. "We're going to have to use magic to get rid of the bullet and stop the bleeding."  
"Zoe," Kyle wails, pressing harder on the wound. He was deteriorating slowly, he thought this was the end of her again. Even if she could get revived again, that wouldn't change the fact that he lost her again, that he didn't fight for her survival, and that he couldn't do anything to save her. And he couldn't live with that.  
"Kyle, look at me!" Cordelia says, pulling his chin up. "She's going to make it! I promise I'll make sure she makes it!"

The girls were panicking, rushing around the house and towards the stairs. Ciri and her best friend Luna managed to bring the girls back into order, leading them up to their bedrooms. Queenie rushed back into the room, holding piles of bandages. Her breathing was heavy and her body was shaking, showing signs of unhealthy thoughts about the situation.  
"That's good Queenie, now help me with the bullet."  
"Of course," Queenie says, hovering above Zoe.  
"When I say, we're going to pull the bullet out, alright?" Cordelia says.  
"No!" Kyle yells. "You'll hurt her more!"  
"Kyle," Cordelia sighs. "She'll bleed out if we don't. You have to trust me."

Kyle stares into the closed eyes of Zoe then grunts in frustration. He kisses her forehead before getting up off of the ground and walking into the kitchen.  
"Where are you going?!" Cordelia asks him.  
Kyle doesn't reply, he just continues walking into the kitchen with clenched fists. He walks to the sink and turns on the tap, placing his hand underneath the water before splashing himself in the face.  
"Fuck," he howls to himself, shaking uncontrollably.  
Bang!  
The window in front of him smashes into a million pieces, and he sees a small hole in the cabinet behind him. Someone was trying to shoot him. Kyle ducks down and hid behind the still running sink. He hears screams, loud screams from the room he was just in. Zoe's screams.

He rushes back into the front room, hearing gunshots and glass breaking everywhere as he escapes the kitchen, barely with his life. Zoe was screaming like a woman being murdered. Cordelia was standing above her with her hand hovering above her chest.  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Kyle screams, starling Queenie.  
"We're taking the bullet out."  
"You're hurting-"  
The bullet sprung out of her chest, flinging into Cordelia's hand. The bullet was so small, but it caused Zoe to endure so much pain, and the fact was making Kyle enraged. He stares around the room, hearing the gunshots ringing around the house. Someone was out there. The one who shot Zoe. Kyle's thoughts were changing from distressed to outright murderous, making him plan the way the bastards out there were going to pay.

Ciri, Rhi and Luna were back down the stairs, rushing towards Zoe.  
"We want to help!" Rhi yells.  
"Tell us what to do!" Ciri agreed, begging to Cordelia.  
"Girls," Cordelia sighs, thinking obliviously. "Fine. Help me by applying pressure to the wound."  
Ciri grasped a bandage and pressed it tightly onto the wound. She was smart and she always wanted to help, especially in times like this.  
Queenie was applying a cold cloth to Zoe's head when she noticed something, her face was going grey.  
"Cordelia! I'd start to use that magic now! We're starting to lose her!"  
"Kyle! Do you need to- Kyle? Where's Kyle?!" Cordelia yells.  
"Cordelia," Luna gaps, pointing towards the door.  
Cordelia turns to see Kyle, walking towards the door with a kitchen knife. He doesn't say anything, doesn't react in any way to the voices calling out to him. He just walks, blindly into god knows what's behind that door. But the scariest part about Kyle is that he doesn't care.

The door slowly swung open, creating a creaking sound on the porch of the academy. Kyle's mind was silent as the hatred and anger flowed through his body. He didn't care what happened next, as long as the person who shot Zoe suffers, he couldn't care if he bled out. He slowly pushed the door closed, but not in a way that was rushed and aggressive, it was silent and dangerous. Kyle's breathing is heavy and unstable like he'd suffered a traumatic experience, of which he did. Zoe's blood was dripping from his hands and onto the smooth wooden porch, and that was the only thing he noticed.

"Well, hello there!" the voice of a man says from in front of him, breaking him from this moment. "Seems like he hit someone boys!"  
Kyle observed the view that stood before him. Twelve guys, armed to the teeth, but with no armour whatsoever. Kyle should be worried about how this is going to go down, but with all that hate on his side, it didn't matter to him.  
"So?" another man says. "Who'd we hit, pretty boy."  
Kyle's fury was bonding closer and closer to his heart, an implication that his anger was getting the best of him. His breathing was becoming heavier as the words accessed his mind, merely fuelling Is inner-fire.  
Next thing he knew, another gunshot ringed in his ear. It was the guy who spoke to him.  
"Wakey-Wakey! You going to tell m- well, us who I shot?"  
It was him, the one who shot her! He shot Zoey, and Kyle promised himself, he'd make this one scream.

"YOU SHOT HER!" Kyle screams, starling all twelve of the men. "You shot my girlfriend."  
A moment of disgust can be heard through the crowd of men, like the words they just heard was a disgrace to the world.  
"Wait a minute," a man, equipped with a beard and shotgun says. "You're not their slave? You- you're dating one of the witch-whores."  
Laughter is then heard from a few of the men, worsening Kyle's anger.  
"I can't believe it. We come here to kill all of the abominations, and now, we're dealing with a lover of them?"  
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Kyle yells. "Seriously, what do you want?"  
"We've come to kill these whores! Be rid of their kind finally, they killed our council-"  
"No!" Kyle growls. "Fiona killed your council. She's dead. So you have no business being here."  
"Somebody must die today! You can be the first if you want? But we're going to kill them, including your whore!" the man who shot Zoe yells, eyes peering into the darkness of Kyle.

Kyle wiped his forehead with his hand, unintentionally smearing blood on his face. Kyle cracked his neck and jaw, then crushed his palms with his knuckles to create another perfect cracking sound. He knew this could end anytime, and in any way, so he was prepared for the worst, but not to say goodbye to the people who finally could call family. Kyle could feel the tip of the blade that was concealed in his pocket, sliding his finger up and down it in anticipation.  
"You know what?" the man sighs, pulling out a handgun. "I'm going to pull off the hunter's attitude, and say fuck it!"  
The man aims the gun at Kyle and pulls the trigger, hitting him directly on the shoulder. Kyle could feel the bullet pierce his skin and into the muscle of his upper shoulder. A timid growl exits Kyle as he leans onto one knee, holding his shoulder as tight as he could. His vision blurs as he tries to catch his breath that found its way out of his lungs, gasping intensely.

"You two," the hunter who shot Zoe snarls, throwing his gun into the hands of another hunter. "Finish him off, but do it slowly. This world has no room for the lover of an abomination."  
The two men nod at the clear leader of the group and walk towards the academy porch, one making sure the gun was ready to shoot. Kyle felt the blood slowly slip out of the cracks of his hand, and onto the bloody wooden floor of the porch. He could hear their footsteps coming closer and closer to him, causing his dark heart to skip a couple beats. Then he feels it. The cold feeling of a barrel against his forehead, the barrel of a gun.  
"Game over, pretty boy."  
His vision clears as he slowly stares up at the holder of the gun. He didn't look anything less than thirty, with huge scars all over his face, and the look about him was never more than a pretentious, obvious, evil. The way Kyle stares at the man is with hate, but also worry, like a victim finally starting up to his bully.  
"Do it," Kyle blurts.  
"What was that?" the man interrogates, pressing the barrel deeper into the skin of Kyle's head.  
Kyle springs up and grips the top of the barrel, bringing the man closer to him. "DO IT!"  
"Bit of a psycho, boss," the guy next to the gunman blurts, chuckling a little.

Kyle grips the barrel tighter until he pulls back, pulling it off of the gun itself. Kyle slips the knife from his pocket, flinging it upright in his hand.  
"What the fuck!"  
He flips the barrel in his hand and pushes it into the gunman's neck, causing it to split the skin and enter from the artery. Thick blood spurts from the barrel inside of his now bloody stained and wounded neck, causing it to flow all over Kyle and the ground. He pushes the gunman's body away before turning to the other guy, knife at the ready, before slicing at his neck, causing a cut ear to ear. The blade enters and exits the man violently as Kyle bombards him with punctures all over his face and neck. Before another man could fire his gun Kyle throws his knife, heading him directly in the chest before running off around the house.  
"Find the bastard!" the leader yells. "FIND HIM!"

Everything outside had turned to shit. Gunfire and horrifying yelling could be heard, and the girls were freaking out, screaming. Cordelia and Queenie's concentration wasn't at their primes, but they had to work with what they had. They were losing Zoe but weren't ready to do so. They knew they could easily resurrect her, but it gets harder and harder each time it happens, so they weren't willing to take the risk.  
"Miss Cordelia!" Ciri sighs. "What's happening outside?"  
Glass shatters from a nearby room, causing Rhi and Ciri to jump.  
"That sounded close," Rhi states, shaking a little.  
Gunshots come from the room now, causing the supreme and council member's concentration.  
"Shit," Queenie growls, her magic flowing away from Zoe's soon to be lifeless body.  
"I'll deal with this," Luna says, walking towards the other room, Rhi and Ciri not far behind.

Luna tiptoes her way to the other room, hearing glass breaking and furniture being thrown around. The gunshots continue in short pauses, like whoever is inside is trying to be precise on his shots. The closer the three young girls got, the louder the grunts and growls became, and it brings the girls closer and closer on edge.  
"Hello?" Rhi sighs, realising how stupid speaking had become.  
"Fuck off, whores!" a clear male voice yells as gunfire sprouts through the room, causing holes in the walls.  
"Screw this!" Ciri yells, running into the room with her palm out.  
"Ciri! No!" Luna yells, hearing gunshots inside.

She walks into the room, expecting the worst. But what she walks in and finds, is surprising. Ciri holds the man against the wall using telekinesis, the wall cracking and creaking with the pressure. The man's shotgun dropped from his grasp with ease, showing a clear victory for the young woman.  
"Stupid. Whore."  
"Oh shut it!" Ciri yells at the man, pushing him tighter against the wall before throwing him on the table near the window.  
The man's body lumps onto the table like the metal filing itself into the thick wood. The back of his head hits the table with heavy impact, but still not enough to knock him unconscious. The man sits up with his back against the window, holding onto a handgun he pulled from his jacket. Luna's hand sparks up with electricity as she points her hand towards the man, shocking his arm and making him drop the gun.

"Stay the fuck away from me!" the man yells, picking up a broken plate shard and holding it as a defence.  
Ciri begins to speak but stops as she notices something. A shadow slowly appears from behind the man, holding something unknown in the dark. The shadow holds the something at the man, and next thing they knew, all they could see is blood. Gunshots echoed through the house, and blood released itself all over the place. The man became a red figure in a matter of seconds, with the blood soaking him and everything else it managed to touch. All the girls could do is scream in horror, they'd never witnessed so much blood.

The gunshots stopped and the body dropped forward, onto the tiles of the kitchen. The blood spilt itself onto the tiles, slowly flowing down the ends of the kitchen floor. Ciri and the others stopped screaming, but they were all still shaken up from witnessing the brutality of the man by the unknown culprit. That's when they noticed something, the gunshots outside had stopped, the yelling stopped, and they had no idea where Kyle was.  
"It's working!" Queenie voice says from the main room.  
Ciri and the girls headed into the room to see Cordelia and Queenie laying down near Zoe's body.  
"What's going on?" Rhi asks.  
"We stopped the bleeding, and she's going to make it. The only problem is we still need to completely heal her," Cordelia explains. "Where's Kyle?"

Ding-Dong!  
The doorbell rings, startling the two women, and the three young women. The noise was so sudden, nobody expected it, especially under the circumstances. Zoe's breathing was heavy, but not faint, and happened to be the only thing that everyone in the room could hear.  
Ding-Dong!  
A second time. Nobody knew exactly what was behind that door, but nobody wanted to move and find out.  
"We should open it?" Rhi says, beginning to use telekinesis.   
"Rhi, don't."  
The door unlocks and slowly swings open, with the edge of the door sliding against the floor softly. Their hearts pound in their chests at the anticipation, and even harder when the door completely opens, revealing exactly what's on the other side.

A man stands right against the door-way, still and emotionless. He's that still, you can't tell if he's breathing or not, which makes it hard to indicate what state he's currently in. He's covered in blood, a lot of it, an unbelievable amount of it. He stays still until he begins to fall forward. He drops to the ground like a stone, faces first into the cold wooden floor of the academy. Then there it is, the reason he fell. A knife, deep inside of the back of his skull, and the blood from the wound stalking the corpse to the ground.  
"Oh my god," Queenie gasps, holding her hand over her mouth.  
Luna and Ciri look away from the sight, while Rhi turns and walks a few feet.  
"Girl's go upstairs!" Cordelia yells.  
"NO!" Another man's voice yells from out the front of the house.

Cordelia looks at the front of the house. The leader of the hunters stands on the porch, holding another handgun. He's also covered in blood, but not as much as the other guy. Bodies sit out front of the porch, one with something jammed inside of his throat, another bleeding from multiple cuts all over his body.  
"Stay there, whores!" The leader yells. "Or I'll kill y'all faster!"  
Cordelia slowly stands up away from Zoe, staring at the other kills.  
"This doesn't have to end like this," Cordelia asserts, pulling the girls closer to her. "It doesn't."  
"Shut up! Shut the fuck up!" the leader yells, aiming his gun inside of the house.  
"Please, don't!" Ciri screams.  
"Please!" Luna screams.

The man fires his gun, causing the bullet to fly into the house. Kyle flings around the corner, impaling the leader's arm with an axe, the axeman's axe. The leader screams in agony as his arm severs from the rest of his body, causing blood to spurt from the fresh wound.  
"FUCK!" the leader screams, turning to Kyle.  
Kyle swings the axe, then slashes the leader in the chest with it, causing him to hit the ground. He kicks him in the stomach, flipping him on his back. He swings the axe up again, impaling him the back with the tool of death, repeating the process five times. He finishes the process with a final stick in the back, of which he lets go of the handle and lets it stay there. Blood stains Kyle's body, dripping everywhere, especially from the knife that's stuck in his lower back. His eyes are venomous, the hate in his face dark but clear.

Kyle turns to face the women in the house, his anger quickly turned to shock. Luna and Ciri lay on the ground holding Rhi, who's suffered a gunshot to the heart, ultimately killing her instantly. Tears weep from the two young girls, as well as Cordelia and Queenie, who sit shakily behind them. Zoe lays on the ground, still, causing mayhem in Kyle's mind. He quickly pulls the knife from his back and wanders into the house, dripping blood all over the already bloody ground.  
"Is she alive?" Kyle sighs, twisting his locks in stress.  
"She is," Cordelia says. "You need medical attention, Kyle."  
"Is she completely healed?" Kyle asks.  
"No, not yet," Queenie explains, bringing anger into Kyle again. "But-"  
"Don't even try to heal me until SHE'S HEALED!" he yells, starling the wailing girls. "You have Rhi to look after anyway."

Kyle walks away from Cordelia and up the stairs, eventually towards his room. As he gets to the door, he hears the whispers of the girls on the other side of the hall, hearing things like "Oh my god" and "What's happened?", making it easier for Kyle to leave the voices. He enters his room and finds himself straight to the bathroom to shower. He twists the cap of the shower to allow the water to run but doesn't go in straight away. He turns and looks at the mirror, seeing himself and the state he's in. All he sees is a monster, a beast, a guard-dog without a leash. Something he never wanted to be seen as and something he fears will be the reason Zoe leaves him. The blood brings him into the memories of the killings he'd committed on this night, making him hate himself more. He punches the mirror to break It away from him, yelling wildly as he does it, before finding his in-depth with the shower close behind him.


	7. Aftermath

Zoe's eyes pry open, burning from the touch of the fresh sunlight. She feels like absolute shit, which is perfectly normal seeing she got shot in the chest, although, she had no idea as to what happened the previous night. Her breathing is normal, but the pain in her chest is starting to really consume her.  
"Well, good morning sunshine!" Queenie yells from in front her.  
Zoe turns to view Queenie sitting on a chair right next to the door.  
"Um, morning," Zoe squirms, trying to pull herself up.  
"Zoe," Queen stands up. "Take it slow."  
Zoe immediately regrets trying to get up too quickly. The pain in her chest moves straight to her head, causing an immediate and painful migraine.  
"Oh my god," Zoe squeals. "What happened to me?"

Queenie moves towards her bed and sits beside her. She turns and looks at Zoe, looking up and down her before bringing into a hug.  
"We almost lost you last night," Queenie explains. "Again."  
Zoe grows confused. What did she mean? How did they almost lose her?  
She pulls back. "What does that mean?"  
"Well," Queenie pauses, trying to find the right words to say. "Last night, the hunters did attack, and their first act was shooting you."  
"Shooting me?! Bullshit!" Zoe yells in disbelief.  
She didn't believe Queenie, but the way she was looking at her, was no doubt believable.  
"I think we should find Cordelia, she can be the bitch to fill you in. We won, but it wasn't flawless."

Queenie helped Zoe out of her bed. Zoe looked at the clothes she was wearing, black singlet and tights, something she never usually wears. Queenie must've dressed her.  
"I brought you to bed and dressed you after the incident," Queenie explains. "Sorry if that ain't your style."  
Zoe giggled and smiled at Queenie, indicating a thank you without words as they headed out of the room. She turns to see the broken, bloody mirror in the bathroom, then looks at Queenie.  
"Must've been Kyle," Queenie sighs. "He's outside. If I were you, I'd talk to him a bit later."  
"Why?" Zoe asks, completely confused.  
"Cordelia will explain, I just- I can't."  
The rest of their trip to Cordelia was completely silent like the mood had just changed for the worst. Zoe was managing to walk normal, even with the pain she was enduring at that moment. The whole house was, manageably quiet, a state the house hadn't been in since the introduction of the new girls, so everything seemed so odd.

Before Queenie could open the door to Cordelia's office, it opened itself. When the door completely opened, Cordelia could easily be seen sitting at the desk, Ciri and Luna sitting in front of her. Both of them were crying, Luna a lot more than Ciri. And from that very moment, Zoe knew something went down.  
"Cordelia?" Zoe sighs, knocking against the side of the door.  
"Come in, Zoe," she sighs sadly. "We have a lot to talk about."  
Zoe slowly walked into the room, hearing Queenie leave in an instant. She stopped behind Luna, placing her hands on her shoulders, starling her slightly but also calming her. She could feel her shaking, her heart beating heavily. She was terrified, depressed, and heartbroken, and Zoe could feel all that negative energy flowing off of her.  
"What happened?" Zoe asks, breaking the crushing silence. "I need to know."  
Ciri turned to Zoe, tears stained all over her face. "Rhi's gone. She's dead, Zoe."

The words echoed in her head. Was she dead? How? No, there's no way. She was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn't notice Luna surrender herself out of the room, Ciri following her. Zoe could see Cordelia's mouth moving, but couldn't hear the words she was saying. She felt like she was being flooded in, all the emotion causing her distress.  
"Tell me," Zoe begs, breaking out of her moment of angst. "Tell me, everything."  
Cordelia takes a deep breath, trying to find the courage to speak.  
"Last night, we were attacked out of nowhere. And you were the first to be harmed. They shot you, and we instantly thought you were gone, especially Kyle. He almost lost his mind, panicking like crazy, wailing your name. There's no doubt he loves you, because, he went outside to face whatever had shot you."  
"What?!" Zoe gasps, instantly worrying about the boy she loves so much.  
"He's fine, Zoe. But that's the part that scared all of us. He killed them. He killed them all. Kyle managed to single-handedly and brutally kill the last of the hunters, but, he did suffer a lot of wounds."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Kyle had saved the coven, but not the way he probably wanted to. He had an extremely volatile temper, he'd already killed three people before last night, one she'd managed to save, but that didn't change the fact. She had to find him, talk to him, show him that she was okay, and tell him that he wasn't a monster.  
"What wounds did he have? Wait, he's healed now right?" Zoe asks.  
"He'd suffered a knife to his back, a broken rib, and two bullet wounds; one in the stomach, another in his shoulder. Then, he broke his hand by punching his mirror," Cordelia explains. "He let me fix his broken bones, but he wouldn't let me heal his other wounds."  
Zoe rolled her eyes at her explanation. Not because of her, but because of how stupid he acted. But then she realised, what about the mess he made?  
"What did you do with the bodies and the blood?" she asks, wanting the explanation quickly.  
"Queenie and I had spent the night cleaning the blood from the house and the veranda. Lucky enough for us, there was not a lot of blood out the front of the house. The bodies were decomposed in an acidic mixture, one of which can cause bones to melt into nothing. Kyle dragged the bodies to the entrance of the greenhouse while I got rid of the bodies. Rhi got shot in the heart by the leader of the hunters and died instantly. I'd already told her parents, and they took it the way you'd expect. Now, her funeral will be in two days, that allows us to find her a spot she would have liked."

Zoe, not knowing what to do or say, just nods in understanding. She slowly stood up and allowed herself time to get used to standing up again.  
"I need you tell you one more thing before you leave," Cordelia says, stopping her from moving any further.  
"What is it?" Zoe asks, focusing on Cordelia's broken sounding voice.  
"Kyle may be a bit on edge. She cut down the leader of the hunter and didn't think twice about it. He cut him down with the axeman's axe, and he didn't flinch, didn't do anything," Cordelia's voice suddenly goes dark all of a sudden. "For that single moment, he lost it."  
"I'm going to go see him and talk about what he did. It'll all be okay, Cordelia. I promise."  
Zoe slowly finds her way out of her office and looks towards the stairs, wondering exactly where Kyle could be hiding.

The sweat drips from his face. His body aches like crazy as he drives the formerly bloody axe into the block of wood, but he doesn't seem to care. The bandages on his body were stuck like glue, some hidden under his grey singlet, others in plain sight. He could nearly feel the eyes watching him, not knowing if it was just his imagination and without the determination to find out for sure. Kyle's strength caused the axe to cut through the wood like it was butter, smoothly and without a struggle. But something was definitely crushing his mind, bickering around the darkness his heart had created and fallen inside.  
"You idiot," Kyle snarls to himself. "You hot-tempered fuckwit."  
The crimes he had committed last night were haunting him like a spirit of vengeance, finding their way into his skin like a virus. Angst was punishing him, causing havoc from within, making him think things he thought for sure weren't true, things he was no questioning. But were his actions even crimes? He didn't want to know.

He flung the axe into the wood aggressively, causing it to get stuck for the first time in god knows how many swings.  
"She's going to leave me," he wails. "No, no, no. She can't, she can't leave me."  
His hands grasped onto the grip of the axe and tried hard to tear the axe from the wood.  
"I was protecting the coven. I went too far, I know. But I was just protecting the coven!"  
He would violently split as he tears the axe from the wood, tossing it aside like the rest of them. A small snarl breaks from his voice as he throws the wood into the pile he'd created in the hours he'd been awake. He'd slept on the floor of his and Zoe's room while she took the bed, but only for a few hours, and only until after he'd cleaned the mess he'd made. His attempts to swing the axe again, but stops due to the pain accelerating in his stomach, causing him to shriek in pain.

"Kyle?" a soft, familiar voice says from behind.  
He didn't have to turn around to know who it was. The one person who would even want to see him after what he'd done. He knew it was her, the one he had already killed for. The one he feared he had lost forever.  
He gripped his stomach tightly, shrieking and wailing like a child. "Zoe?"  
He was slowly hitting the ground, his other hand laid on the ground trying to keep him upright. As soon as he knew it, she was already assisting him.  
"Hey, it's okay. You need to sit," she says, spotting him a lawn chair to sit on. "I'll take you over there."

They began slowly heading towards the chair, with Kyle limping and snickering in pain.  
"Look at us, back where we started," he says.  
Zoe looked at him. "How are we?"  
"Well," he paused. "Remember the last time I couldn't walk properly? I was a mindless freak."  
"Don't," she snarls angrily. "Don't say that."  
When they finally got to the chair, silence fell between them, and they instantly hated it. Kyle fell onto the chair like a solid rock, but still holding the bandaged wound on his stomach. Zoe hated seeing him like this; not wanting to be healed, hating himself for what he'd done. She had heard what he was saying to himself, and the worry and fear that was consuming him made her upset.

"I fucked up," Kyle says, staring into Zoe's hazel eyes. "I fucked up big time, Zoe."  
Her eyes stared back into his chocolate brown ones, hating what he just said.  
"You protected the coven-"  
"I killed twelve people without even thinking twice about it!" he yells, interrupting her chance to prevail him. "You know what that makes me? It makes me just, another sinister, mindless killer."  
"You're wrong!" Zoe snarls. "You're not a killer! You're a protector!"

There it was again. The silence. Slowly creeping its way back into their stress and worry like a parasite. Everything they've gone through has lead to these negative feelings. Kyle was still groaning in pain, the pain Zoe had no idea how to predict, and the pain she knew he could have avoided. But then he speaks.  
"I'm sorry."  
"Why are you sorry?"  
"I-" he stops. "I just lost it, Zoe. I saw you on the ground, bleeding and I j- I just lost it. I know I've always had a bad temper, but killing them? I went too far."  
"You protected us," she explains. "You protected me."  
"But that doesn't change the fact I've killed fourteen people, Zoe. I'm dangerous, and someone like me, someone like a monster, doesn't deserve to be in the presence of someone as loving as you."

His words anger Zoe intensely as they finally find their way inside of her head, and she'd had enough.  
"I've killed people too Kyle! The asshole who raped Madison, Spalding, the Axeman. I've killed too! So don't you dare tell me you're a monster, and that you "don't deserve me" or any shit like that. Because you're not a monster! You're, you're-"  
"What am I then?" Kyle asks, using his eyes to ridicule her body.  
"You're mine. And you always will be. I didn't resurrect you for no reason, I did it because I loved you at first sight."  
"Zoe," he sighs, trying to grasp her hand in is.  
"Don't," he says, flinging her hand away from his.  
"I love you."

The words cause her to turn and look at Kyle with sad eyes and smile. There's no doubt she loved him, and it was absolute that he loved her.  
"I love you too."  
"I promised I'd do anything to protect you," he explains. "I always live to my promises."   
"And I promised that I'd always love you," Zoe giggles. "I always live up to my promises."  
Zoe takes her hand in his and smiles, tossing all the drama behind her. But there was one more thing bugging her, and one thing bugging him. But he was choosing to leave it for later.  
"Get up," Zoe says. "Now."  
"Why?" Kyle asks.  
"Because. I'm taking you to Cordelia for healing."  
"But-"  
"Kyle Spencer, don't argue with me!" Zoe yells, giggling a little.  
"Fine," he smiles.

She helps him up from the chair and holds up upright, walking towards the house. Kyle's groaning was getting louder but he was cooperating, which was a relief to Zoe. She couldn't help but stare at Kyle, noticing the sad looking on his loving face, but decided to ignore it for now. He needed rest, and that's exactly where she planned on taking him after he healed. So they can both rest and recover beside each other like they were supposed to in the first place.


	8. Funeral Beliefs

It was the morning of the funeral, and Kyle didn't sleep the night before. He didn't know if it was because he was stuck in bed the whole day before, or the other reason. He just wanted this day to be over, but he knew it wasn't going to go that way. Cordelia had organised the funeral to be in the early morning, just so nobody public would bother them or ask questions. Because the last thing anybody would want today is questions. Kyle was already half-dressed in his suit when Zoe was waking up, already bringing the worry to the start of her day.

"What are you doing up?" she asks. "The funeral isn't until another four hours?"  
"I know," he sighs. "I couldn't sleep."  
Zoe found her out of their bed. She was wearing one of his shirts that went down to her hips, revealing the lacy purple underwear she wore the night before. He couldn't help but stare as she strutted her way towards him.  
"Show me your wounds."  
She opened his jacket, revealing his shirtless torso and the bandages stuck to his skin. The scars on his shoulders and the one underneath his eye were no doubt permanent, but she had to be sure that the wounds on his shoulder, back and stomach weren't going to leave scars. He looks at her and smirks.  
"I meant unbandage them, asshole," she giggles. "But seriously though, take the bandages off."  
Kyle whined as he tore off the bandage on his shoulder, and even more when he reached the one on his stomach. The former wounds were now completely healed, not even scarred.  
"Good," she smiles.

The whole academy had arrived at the funerary grounds. Some of the girls found their own rides, some with their boyfriends, other just bought out a couple taxis. The rest took the rental trucks Cordelia had organised, everyone but Kyle and Zoe, who took their own ride there. Everyone was wearing black, which didn't really matter, black was both funeral and witch tradition. Rhi's burial was going to be beside Myrtle Snow, Nan and Misty Day. Even though she knew nothing about those women and didn't even meet them, Cordelia thought it would be best if she laid beside others who were special to the coven, and everyone agreed to those terms. Queenie and Zoe were to be beside Cordelia the whole day, which was something that made Kyle nervous. Not only because some of the girls watched him murder those men, but for other, more complicated reasons.

The funeral had begun, and Cordelia had started her speech for and about Rhi. Queenie and Zoe were also expected to have a speech planned, but Zoe didn't. And it was making her worried and panicked. She didn't like being permitted to a speech, especially one relating to a funerary one.  
"We all lost Rhi. All of us, and far too early. She had gifts, real gifts. She really was one of a kind. And it's overwhelming, knowing that's gone from us this soon. And the one thing I wish I could have changed is having enough energy to resurrect her, so I guess it's one me," Cordelia pauses, breathing a sigh. "May she rest peacefully, and may she sing with that beautiful voice of hers in the heavens."  
Queenie was up next, and it was clear she wasn't as confident as Cordelia was. Nobody was. Her voice was shaky, and her tone was shrivelled.  
Zoe was trying hard not to look at the crowd of girls, instead, focusing on one of the only people that makes her feel better. Kyle.

He was acting strangely. Really strange. He was shaking, constantly looking down at his feet and the tattoo on his arm. She could feel something bad coming off of him, and she wanted to find out what was wrong. And that's when she noticed it. The one thing she should have realised the entire time, the thing she could have known sooner. It was Rhi that was bothering him. He swore to himself that he could have saved her, but that wasn't the full story. Rhi was someone else, someone close to Kyle without even knowing it. Her name was Rhi. Rhi Spencer.

She turned and looked at Kyle, who was staring back. Her eyes told him that she knew, which caused his face to turn grey. He swallowed hard as his breathing grew heavy. He turned and fell himself away from the crowd, walking back to the car, which caused Zoe to panic. She rushed away from the walled grave and through the crowd of girls. She didn't care about the whispers and voices calling to her, all she wanted was to catch Kyle, and each step brought her closer and closer to that objective.

But he wasn't aiming to leave the funeral altogether, only to find some distance away from it, but Zoe didn't know that.  
"Kyle, wait!" she says, finally catching up to him.  
Kyle faced the car and leaned into it, tears flowing down his face as he tried to catch a breath. He was having an anxiety attack, the first one he'd ever had since his resurrection, which was causing Zoe was panicking with him.  
"I'm- I'm sorry. I couldn't take it, I couldn't-"  
"Shhhh. It's okay, it's okay," she caresses his face, pulling him towards her. "I'm here, it's okay."

Kyle was desperately trying to catch his breath, but it wasn't working. He felt like he was suffocating, slowly. He used to get anxiety attacks all the time when he went to high school but never told his mother about them. Never. Every time was the same; the feeling of suffocation and the taste of blood in his mouth. He hated feeling weak like this, he thought it was worse than reaching a rage, but he preferred it as an alternative. He felt like a high school student again, but he actually had someone to help him, he wasn't alone.  
"Kyle?" Zoe gasps, seeing his face starting to turn greyer. "Look at me! Look at me!"  
Kyle's eyes somehow trailed their way to her, fading slowly. She had one more trick down her sleeve to snap him out of it. Just one more.

And that's when she kissed him. Her lips softly pressing against his, trying to bring back the life that was hidden away from her. His lips were weightless at first but were starting to become stronger and more equipped. She could feel his body shock as he was beginning to breathe normally, his chest beating against hers. She could feel the warmth falling off of him, like a fresh sunset after a cold winter. He was starting to return to her, and she knew for sure when he pulled back from the kiss and gasped.  
"You okay, baby?" Zoe says, hugging him.  
Kyle took in a few breaths before speaking. "Yeah, I'm okay. I'm okay."  
He took her in his arms and hugged her back, kissing her on the top of her head.

His breathing was starting to calm down, and his heart was slowing.  
"I'm so sorry Z-"  
"It's okay," she stops him. "I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner."  
Kyle wiped the tears from his face and shrugged, feeling the sadness again but not as intense.  
"She was my second cousin. I mean, it sounds stupid and all. But a family is family," he pauses, sniffling down the swelling in his face. "Especially when they've all forgotten about you."  
He was right. None of his family knew he was back, which would be hard to explain in the first place. For all they knew, he and his mother were both brutally and realistically, gone.  
"It's not stupid," Zoe kisses him on the cheek. "You've lost someone. Did she-"  
"Know? Of course not, I wouldn't have let her. I'm sure we met as kids, so I wanted her to continue to think that Kyle Spencer was dead," he explains.

The explanation makes Zoe hug him tighter and tighter, crushing his body like a twig. He didn't care too much, all he cared about was that she was with him. Even though probably the last family he'll ever meet is gone, he was caught the moment. This world was a strange and destructive place. People died without real reasons, some couldn't die, and others did die. It was a puzzle with a missing piece, the same as Kyle. But as long as Zoe was with him, that puzzle had found a piece to replace what was once missing.

The funeral beliefs were eventually over and everyone headed back to the academy. The girls had the week off, so not all of them were in their ways back to the house. Kyle was driving Zoe back to the house slower than normal, he was more careful and didn't find joy in driving the Porsche like normal. His hand didn't leave Zoe's grasp though, which was always a good sign. He was devastated, and she knew that. Even though the coven had lost so much; Myrtle Snow, Nan, Misty Day, and even Madison to a point, a loss like this was something Kyle would take time to adapt to.  
"Kyle?" Zoe sighs, gripping his hand tighter.  
"Yes?"  
"Do you remember your hell? Like, when you died, do you remember what you saw?"  
"Every day," he says. "It really is the worst."  
"What was it?" she asks, eyebrows waving up in curiosity.

Kyle took a very deep breath before speaking, indicating that this explanation was going to take some time.  
"So, when I used to take a lot of drugs, I was never myself. I only ever did it to escape the pain, but sometimes I just bought more. I was aggressive and hard to control. Probably worse than the death-temper I struggle to contain at times. But my own personal hell was losing it. Taking drugs, a lot of them, and doing something I'd never even thought about doing, ever. I'd head towards a school, with guns, and shoot up the place. But that wasn't the scariest part. The scariest part was that you were there."  
Zoe's eyes swallowed him like an uncontrollable fire. She wasn't horrified, but she couldn't have imagined what he had said next.  
"I killed you. Over, and over it replayed. The shooting the school, killing people, including you. I was a monster, and the noises, kind've like whistling. It was driving me mad, but I absolutely couldn't control my actions. I know that I had only just met you a half-an-hour before I died, but somehow you were already my weakness, my own little brand of ecstasy. And when I was brought back, I was torn from that hell, and I never want to go back there."  
"Don't worry," Zoe says, kissing his hand. "You're never going back there, again."

Kyle turned and smiled at her. His own personal hell was the worst experience ever, he hated even thinking about it and definitely speaking of it. But there was something about this world that was kinda' worth living. Sure, they'd both lost a lot, some would say too much. But their lives weren't theirs to control, they were dedicated to something, to something that would either hold them together or tear them apart. Each other. Both of their own personal hells were soul-piercing, but when they had each other by their sides. The world they stood in together managed to become something better. Their own personal heaven.


	9. Fighting The Urge To Destroy

Ever since Rhi's funeral, Kyle has really been on edge. Cordelia has had Queenie and myself watching the girls carefully and listening around New Orleans for activity on the hunters, to which there's been none so far. We've been working our asses off for the past three weeks, and I've been too exhausted do anything else but pass out as soon as I hit the bed. Kyle hasn't been distant or anything, just a little uncontrollable and on edge. I hadn't spent much time with Kyle, with probably just added more fuel to the uncontrollable fire that he was. I felt bad, but I was going to definitely confront him about it soon, and being the weekend would make it easier.

I was walking around the empty halls of the house, feeling around for the familiar presence of Kyle.  
"Jesus Christ, where are you?" I say to myself, staring at the door of our bedroom.  
I slowly lean to grasp the doorknob when the door opens by itself, revealing Kyle, who looked a little drunk and angry.  
"Kyle?"  
"We really need to talk, Zoe. Please," he begged me, closing the door as I walked through the door.  
I walked and sat on the bed, noticing the bottle of Jack Daniels that was sitting on the small table of our room. Was he drunk? Really? He'd been drinking a little lately, but never drank enough to get drunk.  
"Are you okay, Kyle?" I ask him.  
"No," he paused. "I'm not. We haven't spent time together in what's felt like forever, I've been slowly falling apart since Rhi and I haven't had you to heal me. You know how that feels?"

I didn't have to listen to those words a second time to know he was hurting. He'd lost another family member, and not even I could stop him from believing he could have saved her, stopped her from transmutating in front of others to save them. He hadn't been himself for three weeks. He was constantly fighting with everyone, which including himself, and grew a taste for liquor, which was something he wanted to stay away from. It was like he was in his own hell without even being dead, even though it was a lot different to what he told me.

"Kyle, I'm sorry. Cordelia has had both me and Queenie working our asses off to keep the coven safe, and all I've been is exhausted. I promise after I finish the work she-"  
"There's more work?!" he snaps, causing me to jump uncontrollably. "You've worked for the past two weekends!"  
"I know and I'm sorry," I plead with him.  
I watched as he gripped his hair in stress, shrieking and pulling his hair. I could understand how stressed he was in, hardly seeing one of the only people that kept him together. I felt so full of guilt it was consuming me. He was mad, the worst he'd been since the incident with the hunters, but it only showed how much he was missing me. But what he did next was definitely going to make me feel guilt-fuelled. He started to put on his going-out jacket.

"Kyle?" I say, my voice growing worried. "What are you doing?"  
"I'm going away for a couple days."  
I stand in front of the door as he heads there, shielding the doorway to the hallway.  
"You're leaving me!" I yell.  
"No. I'm stopping myself," he explains.  
"From what?!"  
"From becoming a danger, again. From destroying this entire room without thinking twice about it. Zoe, I need time to think and calm."  
Next thing I knew, he was gone from the room. The entire house had gone silent, so silent I heard his Porsche drive through the gates and away from the house. Tears were flowing down my face like a flooded stream, dripping onto the floor of what was supposed to be our room. But he was gone, and I had let him leave, pushed him to. From the second he left, I knew I was regretting it.

"Jesus Christ, Zoe," I snarl to myself, sitting on my bed. My head was screeching from inside, causing me weep uncontrollably like a teenage girl, even though I was one. It was painful with him gone, but I couldn't help but understand that this is what it was like for him, and I didn't even know. My body was aching with my heart, it felt like it was being drilled from inside. What happened between us? Was I really distant from him for that long? I felt destroyed for making him feel that way. That's when I heard the door open.  
"Zoe, honey?" Cordelia says, peaking her head inside of the door and instantly noticing my tears. "Are you okay? I saw him leave the house."  
"No, I feel like shit," I explain to her, wiping my tear-stained face.  
She embraces me in a tight hug, allowing me to find peace in her heavenly grasp. If made me feel better, having her with me. She wasn't just my supreme, she was basically my mother, constantly protecting me and making sure I was okay. The moment I accidentally killed my boyfriend, my real mother became nothing to me. So it felt really good to have at least a figure of one.

"I'm sorry, Cordelia. He missed me so much, and I was a total bitch and didn't notice him."  
"Zoe Benson!" Cordelia flails. "Don't you ever say that again! If anything, it was my fault for pushing you so hard, making you work on your days off. I'm sorry for causing this shit."  
Cordelia's words were so honest and kind, but I knew it wasn't entirely her fault. It was on both of us, both of our faults. And I had to bring that up before she blamed herself for everything.  
"Cordelia, It was both of us. I worked too hard and spent little time with Kyle, you were just giving me the jobs."  
"Yeah, but-"  
"No!" I interrupt her. "Don't say that again."  
Silence broke between us, and I was thinking about what to say next. Cordelia always knew exactly what to say, and was so kind about it. Hard to think that she was Fiona's daughter. She was unquestionably one of the best leaders anyone could ask for, and that was something she didn't inherit from her bitch of a mother.  
"Well, what now?" I ask her, thinking again about Kyle.  
"We wait for him to come back," she replies.  
"What if he doesn't?" That question made me regret the thoughts lingering in my mind.  
"Believe me when I say this; he loves you too much to not come back."


	10. A Little Too Much

The Porsche roars as it drives across the streets of New Orleans. Kyle had one hand on the wheel, the other on his phone, scrolling through text messages to see if Zoe had messaged him. But there was none. It had been six hours since he left the house, and all he did was the drive. Kyle was regretting leaving the house in a rage, but he knew if he didn't, it would have only resulted in him breaking everything in their room. So, instead of causing a mess in the house, he decided to take all his rage out on the thrill of the drive. Driving always made him feel better. Ever since Rhi's death, driving has been his only way away from the bullshit, especially since Zoe had been away from him for so long. He wanted to text her, to tell her he was sorry, but he knew that he couldn't, not right now.

"Jesus Christ," he says to himself as he begins to slow down the car. He didn't even realise he was speeding way past the speed limit.  
His head was aching like a drill was finding its way through his head. His ears were ringing like an explosion had just occurred right beside him. His whole body was hurting and he didn't know why. He hadn't drunk that much, at least he didn't think so. He didn't know what was going on, he thought he was losing his mind. Zoe. Zoe. Zoe. That's all that was running his mind; the beauty he probably left hurt and hollow. But of course, he couldn't help himself, the temper he had gained from the stress of the mind, as it's brought back from the dead, it's a curse to anyone.

He was looking around for anything he could find, a bar maybe. He hadn't been to a bar since he was sixteen after his dad had died. His mother was abusive, and that was before she became a rapist and prone to sexual abuse. Drinking and taking any drug he could find, made Kyle feel painless like he didn't have to feel anymore. Just when he thought his dad's death was going to destroy him, his mother's abusive made sure of it. He remembered crying every day at school. Not to any girlfriend and friend of his, he just cried whenever he could find alone time. The fact that one day he'd be able to leave suddenly had become his only reason for living. And whenever he would find the time with Zoe, he was going to tell me more than he did before.

Then, there it was; a bar, Crimson's Bar. A little part of him was relieved to find himself a bar to sit down for a while, and probably drink until his blind. Crimson's Bar, Hotel Included. That's exactly what he needed; a place to drink until he couldn't walk, and then a place to rest until he could walk. The idea was simple and perfect at the time, but then he remembered where he should be right now. The only thing that could make this situation any worse, as if he'd suddenly started to take coke or any other drug again. He had self-control, well, enough to be able to park his Porsche straight, while staring at the bright red coloured sign.  
"This is it," he said to himself. "I can't call or text her, that will just make me more of an asshole."

Zoe was still crying. She was terrified; not only about the fact that Kyle could have possibly left her for good but the possibility that he may put himself in danger because of her. She was in her room, their room. It was the one place in the entirety of the house that was there's and there's only. And at that moment in time, nothing was in that room but heavy and crippling loneliness. She was holding a tissue in one of her delicate and soft hands, wiping all the tears that found their ways down her cheeks. She wished he was here, hugging her and telling her it would be okay, but for once, the problem was that he wasn't there.

She remembered all the times he'd been there for her; after she came out of her own personal hell when Madison attacked her, and after she was shot by the hunters, as well as many other times. And now, she felt like she had disappointed him like she wasn't there for him in times he needed her the most, and it hurt her deeply. She stared at her phone as she wept, and it was indefinitely, the only thing that stopped her from contacting him immediately to apologise. But she was still afraid; afraid of what could happen if she called him, and better, what could happen if he didn't answer. So he ignored the temptation.

"Another!" Kyle yelled, watching as the bartender smirked and poured him another glass of brandy.  
Kyle had found his way inside the bar and instantly noticed the impression its beauty had branded on him. It was a shotty joint; pool tables, jukebox, among other things you wouldn't normally see in New Orleans. But he liked it the moment he walked in. He also likes the sight of the actual bar itself, with old bottles of whiskey and bourbon labelled and placed on the shelves. He was welcomed by the bartender, who appeared to be in the late twenties, if not early thirties. She seemed so young to be working in a place like this, but he kept his eyes off. She was polite and asked about what you drank with dignity. Something most people would find weird in times like this.

"Slow down, little man!" the bartender yelled, carefully pouring the drink into Kyle's mouth. "Don't choke."  
Kyle noticed her accent straight away, she was from around New Orleans as well.  
"You from around here?" Kyle says, gulping down another shot of brandy.  
"Why yes, I am indeed," the bartender says, smiling graciously. "How 'bout you?"  
"Yeah, I'm from around here too."  
"You don't sound like you're from around here. Where's your accent?"  
Kyle smiles and chuckles a little, feeling good for the first time all day. "Let's just say- I lost it."

Kyle and the bartender, Kristy, had spent a half an hour just talking to one another. Kyle had ignored her every chance of trying to tap into his personal life, but that was only because it'd make him sound like a mental patient. Everything was going well for Kyle, he'd even stopped drinking the entire time they were talking, but he couldn't help but pretend to check his phone, only to stare at a photo of him and Zoe. He was missing her bad, even with company. As he'd told her before, he always felt a dark feeling inside of him, and since he'd left the house, that bad feeling was slowly creeping in. He had a feeling in his gut, that something was going to go down tonight; something he won't expect, but something he'd be ready for. That's when the door nearly broke open.

"HONEY!" a voice said, clearly male, and drunk. "I'm home!"  
Kyle turned to see who the voice belonged to. A man, possibly late twenties, blonde long hair, scar across his cheek. By the look of the bags under his eyes and the crack in his voice, he was drunk, really drunk. Kyle could nearly sense the disappointment in Kristy that he was there, she clearly didn't like him.  
"We talked about it this, Nathan!" Kristy yelled. "You're not allowed in my bar!"  
"Oh, C'mon baby!" the man said again.  
"Nathan?" Kyle thought. The name sparked trouble in his mind, and in his common sense. He knew whatever he was here for, it wasn't on good terms.  
"I just wanted to have a drink with you and my buddies."

Men suddenly joined the room from behind, probably half a dozen or so. Kyle's eyes watched them all, observing every one of them. Ever since he joined the coven as the butler, Kyle was observant of everything. He was the protector of the coven, the Guard-Dog, and his job was to sniff out any trouble, so that's what he does at all times. He knew all of those guys were trouble, like they all had their own similar backgrounds and pasts, like murderers or rapists. But he just turned away, grunting at the sight of the men, even though he himself, could be a sight for sore eyes.

"Who's this faggot? You haven't replaced me, have you?" Nathan says.  
"No!" Kristy yells before Kyle could say anything. "He has a girlfriend."  
How did she know this about him? Did she know who he was? Was it the news report? Or something else? So many questions, but no time to ask them.  
"Then, he's a cheater."  
Kyle turns and looks at the man titled Nathan. That comment had pissed him off, more than enough to break the point of his temper, but for some reason, he was in complete control.  
"Got something to say?" Nathan said, watching Kyle, who was watching his boys stand directly behind him.  
"No," Kyle said quietly. "I wouldn't waste my breath."

Kyle turned back to face Kristy, who to no surprise, looked shaken and worried. What was her history with Nathan? What did he do to her? Kyle was startled by the sound of Nathan sitting next to him, to which his presence caused his anger to be less and less controllable.  
"So, honey. Who is this prick?"  
"This prick," Kyle paused. "Maybe in control of how your night goes."  
"Oh really? And who are you exactly."  
"My name, is Kyle, last name you don't deserve to know."  
"Kyle, stop," Kristy said, her voice cracking.  
"YOU BE QUIET, WHORE!" Nathan screamed in Kristy's face. Kyle always hated that word, especially when it was used by a total prick like Nathan.  
"That's enough," Kyle said. "You've already lost everyone's respect, leave before you lose something else."

Kyle's words echoed in his own head. He'd just started something he couldn't back down from, something he wouldn't let himself back down from. If he just left now, Kristy would sure as hell be the one to suffer from those guys, and Kyle, being Kyle, wouldn't allow someone to get hurt for no reason. But even Kyle knew that this time, he really fucked up.  
"Kyle, I think you should leave," Kristy said, her hand coming towards his head.  
"I said SHUT IT!" Nathan says, his hand going to violently grip herself.  
That's when he did it. Kyle didn't think twice about doing it, he wanted to protect Kristy because that's what he does. But maybe he went a bit too far. Nathan screamed at the blade jammed inside the top of his hand, which caused his hand to be completely stuck to the wood of the bar. Kristy was screaming too, but not of fear, but of shock. Kyle wasn't shocked at all, he knew exactly what he'd done, he knew he'd just started a fight.  
"You feel that?" Kyle asks him, whispering in his ear. "That's the feeling of weakness, because that's what you are, weak. You feed off the fears and pain of others, don't you? Well, guess what? I know what it feels to die, and believe when I say this; you don't want to know what that's like."

Kyle quickly tears himself from the bar chair, the knife with him. Kyle held the bloody knife close as the slowly walked past Nathan's friends, eyeing all them singularly. He finds himself out the door quickly, regretting his stupid decision when he feels the pelting rain against his clothes.  
"Fuck, fuck."  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET HIM!" Kyle heard from inside the bar as he quickly found his way towards the Porsche.  
He heard the door crack open, loud footsteps quickly following. He knew this was going to happen, he knew there was going to be something to make his night as shitty as his day, if not worse.  
"Hey, you!" a man says, causing Kyle to turn to face him. "The boss wants you dead now, pretty boy."  
"You called me pretty?" Kyle snarls. "And your "boss" called me a faggot."  
The man quickly pulls a switch-knife out of his jacket, clicking it upwards. Kyle wasn't worried about him, he was worried about the other six guys holding crowbars and bats. This was it, Kyle had gotten himself into another fight. But this time, Zoe wasn't here to get hurt.

The man launches himself at Kyle, his blade following a swing towards his throat, but Kyle was too quick. Kyle caught the man's hand in a bone-crushing grip, causing a squeal to ring in his ears. Kyle grips the grip of his own blade tightly, before jabbing it violently in the forearm of the man, causing his hand to jolt and drop the switchblade. The man's screams in pain as blood gushes from the wound and onto the ground of the parking lot. Kyle grips the man's head and tosses him to the ground face first, rag-dolling him at first touch with the cement. Kyle didn't plan on killing them, but, they weren't going to get away with this, unscathed. It wasn't long before the other six men charged their ways towards Kyle, all with their own weapons. Kyle was tired of holding the fuse of his temper, so, he was ready to let it flare.

Kyle soared towards the nearest goon like an animal, gripping the man's shirt and throwing him through a car door with his undead strength. The force of Kyle's strength sent the man dented into the door, completely unconscious. Kyle was stunned by the feeling of a blunt object hitting his ribs, only to turn and see another man, someone twice the size of him. The man swings his bat again but is countered by Kyle, who grips his metal baseball bat, denting it with his grip.  
"What the fuck?!"  
Kyle yanks the bat from the man's hands and throws it to the side, leaving himself vulnerable to the man's punches that follow. Kyle spits blood to the masses of punches inflicted by the man but stops it by a yank of the man's leg. Kyle yanked on the man's leg hard enough to hear a sudden break and the screams that followed it. The man's screamed were silenced when his face met Kyle's fist, Kyle only had to hit him once. Kyle turned to face another one of the goons and is it lethally met by a switchblade to his side. Kyle gasped to the feeling of the cold metal lunged in his body, and watched as blood dripped from the wound. This wasn't going to stop him yet, only add more fuel to the fire.

Kyle drags the goon towards, lunging his head towards his to form a headbutt, of which Kyle repeats a few more times before pushing the goon off to the side. Kyle looked at the remaining three men, staring as he slowly tore the thin blade from his body. The other men didn't look scared, didn't look worried, they looked furious. Maybe they were like Kyle, prone to the violence and the pain? One thing was sure, Kyle was going to make sure they felt what real pain was. Kyle started walking towards them when he was stopped by the presence of Nathan appeared in front of him like a flash, like his mind had skipped a few seconds. He was standing there, a meter behind his friends, holding his bloody hand with a maddened look.

"I knew who you were, you know? As soon as I saw your face, I knew. Five weeks ago, witch hunter's attacked your home, and killed the one family member you ever got close to."  
Nathan's words were crushing Kyle like a heavy boulder, and flushed memories of Rhi inside of his head. His hands were shaking uncontrollably. His legs caved him on him when one of Nathan's goons hit him in the leg with a crowbar. The memories were quickly turning to visions, painful visions, and his ears were being drowned invoices. His mind was so struck, he didn't notice the three goons were hitting his body.  
"You're just a Guard-Dog"  
"You killed your mother Kyle!"  
"Putting you together was fun, but tearing you apart will be so much more!"  
"Rhi was your fault"  
"She doesn't know how to please you. Not like I can."  
"YOU'RE NOTHING!"

Kyle screams at the voices in his head as he enters a rage. He flings himself upwards, gripping two of the goon's heads aggressively. The men shriek in Kyle's painful grip, then grunt painfully as their heads slam together, hard enough to cause minor brain damage. The last goon jams a screwdriver up Kyle's side, causing another jolt of pain from him. Kyle grabs the man's head tightly, then flings him across away into a nearby car. The man's body flies into the car windscreen, cracking it intensely. Kyle turns to face Nathan again, the screwdriver still in his side.  
"Okay dude, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."  
Kyle slowly walks towards Nathan, every step bringing more and more fear to who was supposed to be a maddened criminal. Kyle was pissed, more than he's been since the hunter attack. And he was dedicated to making sure he was the message, is indefinite, processed.

Kyle took one more step before he was right in front of Nathan, face to face, quite literally. Kyle was so close he could smell Nathan's fear, and hear it from his breathing.  
"Kyle," Nathan paused, taking in a deep breath. "I'm sorry, okay?"  
Kyle grips his hair and pushes him against a brick wall.  
"You ever come here again, and I'll kill you. Understand?"  
"Y- yes," Nathan squeals.  
"Good," Kyle says, head-butting Nathan unconscious before letting go of his body, causing it to drag down the wall.  
Kyle turns slowly and begins to walk away from the scene. That's until he hears the bar door open.

"Kyle?" Kristy's voice says from behind him, causing him to face her.  
He says nothing to her. He doesn't know what to say, he'd just trashed her parking lot, nearly killed a bunch of assholes, and probably caused her property damage. What was he supposed to say?  
"Are you going to- Kyle? You're bleeding!"  
Kyle looked down at the screwdriver still jammed in his side, and the blood, the tonnes of blood leaking from the wound. His face was slowly turning grey, and his vision was blurring. He tried prying the screwdriver from his side, but he couldn't. He turned and looked at Kristy, who was covering her mouth as if she was going to puke.  
"Kri-"  
Kyle's body hits the ground like a rock, his head hitting the cement with force. He was unconscious. Worse. He was dying.


	11. Hospital Visits

Blurriness. My vision was blurred, where am I? I can't see, but my body aches miserably. Where am I? How did I get here? I can hear high pitch beeps every second, which was distracting and hurt to listen to. Darkness, my eyes are flooded with it. There's small chunks of light in my vision, flickering light. Am I dead? Or close to it? I want to sleep but my headaches too much to be able to do it. What the fuck happened. My vision slowly comes back, but only in small chunks. Light, blue, empty room. Where the hell am I? I blink a few times to wake up a little more, the room becomes more and more accessible to my eyes. By the strange look of it; the blue curtains, flatbed and a people walking around outside wearing blue uniforms, great, it was a hospital.

I'm startled when the door opens suddenly, the sound causing my head to ache more. A woman, probably around her mid-twenties, walks through the door, holding a board. She looked happy, something I missed, all there's been is stress, and because of me, they led to violence.  
"Mr Spencer?" the woman said, staring right at me. "Do you know where you are?"  
"The hospital I presume."  
"That's right, that's right. Do you remember what happened last night?"  
I tried to think, but that just made my head hurt more. I remember drinking with this girl, her name was Kristy I think, then after that, I don't know. So I had to be honest about it, or Zoe would kill me.  
"No, not really beside drinking a little," I paused. "What did happen last night?"  
"You were brought in by a young woman, you were badly injured, probably one of the worst injuries from a fight I've ever seen. But you pulled through fine, although, you needed stitches for a lot of the wounds."

I look down my shirt, staring at the stitches near my ribs. Jesus, what kind've to fight did I get in last night? Wait, where is my knife?  
"Thank you for being honest. Um, did I have anything on me at all?" I ask her.  
"Anything on you? You had your wallet, phone, and a screwdriver jammed in your rib cage. Either than that, no. Where are you missing something?"  
A screwdriver, jammed, in my god damn rib cage? What the fuck? What happened last night, I can't remember a single part of it. This is bullshit, oh fuck, Zoe is going to kill me.  
"We called your emergency contact number, Zoe Benson, she's here right now if you're ready to see her."  
Oh god, she's here, I'm so fucked. What's she going to say? What's she going to do? I'm scared, not of her specifically, but what she may do. But I guess, I have to face that sooner or later, and I will be in trouble If I don't let her in, so better do It now.  
"Let her in, please."

The door opens again in a flash, and there she is. The love of my life was standing at the door, heavily breathing. But she was saying nothing, only had a blank expression on her face, which quickly, turned to tears. She was crying as she walked towards me, her tears flowing down her face like a stream. I felt so bad now, she was in tears because of me, because I left, and because of the state I left myself in due to a long night of drinking. So, what did I expect? Oh god, the guilt is consuming.  
"Jesus, Kyle. I got the call, and I- I just- I couldn't- I just-"  
"Zoe, Zoe," I say to her, my hand reaching out to her hers. "I'm okay, I swear."  
That's when she curled right beside me, right beside my bed, still crying. The nurse left us in peace, which was nice of her. She laid her head on my shoulder, weeping into it.  
"I'm sorry, Kyle. I'm so sorry I forced you to leave, if I didn't, this wouldn't have hap-"  
"No, Zoe. I'm sorry for leaving, I was just caught up in so much anger, that I had to leave before I destroyed the entire room."  
"It should be both of our faults."

I leaned into her, kissing her cheek while her head still laid on me. This was peaceful. I couldn't help myself but kiss her cheek more and more, it was like I hadn't seen her in months, sure as hell felt like it. This is my love, my partner, she is my world, and seeing her in pain, wasn't a god damn option. So that's what we did  
"Zoe, I love you so much, and I'm sorry that I've been drinking and not being myself, but I promise I wouldn't ever leave you I promise. You have no idea what I'd do for you."  
Fuck, why did I say that? That didn't sound discrete at all, but it was true. She has literally no idea what I'd do for her, and what I'd do without, which would be nothing. But still, it sounds right. Sounded so malicious and tempered, like she didn't know me at all, which was false, indefinitely false.  
"Then tell me," she said with her soft beautiful voice. "Tell me what you'd do."

This was it, the time to tell her exactly how I felt about her. I've ignored every chance for her to get this out of me, which was out of fear. I'm scared of my true feelings, because once your happy, it can be taken away from you. But I couldn't hide it this time, not after all the shit that's happened over the past three days, it wouldn't be right for her. Doesn't matter how scared I am, I can't hide it from her anymore, so, I guess it's time to tell her.  
"You really wanna' know?" I ask her, feeling her hand as it brushes against my eye scar.  
"Yes, I really want to know."  
"I would do anything for you; protect you, fight for you, I'd die for you, Zoe. It was me or you, I'd make sure to cut that option out of the picture. I would sacrifice my life just to keep you safe, because of your suffering, isn't a god damn option. I love you Zoe, and there's no way I'm leaving you after everything. You're my love, you're my partner."

Silence. That's all that existed in the room we both sat in, besides each other. I fucked up, didn't I? I scared her away, which was I feared. Everything went into the place like it was always going to. She's gone, she's going to leave me.  
"Zoe, I'm s-"  
And that's when she kissed me, her lips pressing against in mine in a single passionate second. God, I missed this; the feeling of her soft lips, the taste of cherries, and the moments we had while doing so. This was it, she had me at the tips of her fingers again. She was my goddess, my lover, she was mine forever. If living forever was going to be like this, then hurry up and let it begin. We weren't fighting for dominance like normal, it was different; long, passionate and meaningful. She pulls back from me, covering her eyes as she smiles uncontrollably. God, that smile, it was perfect.

The door opens again, the nurse is back, but this time she looked rushed. The opening of the door broke our happiness, but not completely.  
"I'm sorry to ruin the moment, but visiting times are over. Miss Benson, please let yourself out."  
Visiting times are over? Already? I wasn't beginning to get mad again, but I held it back. Instead, I stared at Zoe, smiling at her as she left the room, staring back. Her eyes glittered as she left the room, pulling her black bag over her arms that were covered by her black shirt. Everything was black at the academy, oh shit, the academy, god I missed that place. I looked at the nurse, she had a tray of food with her and placed it on my bed.  
"Your girlfriend is very beautiful," she says, placing knives and forks with the food. "Now, you should eat up. It's been a while since you ate."  
"She really is, isn't she?" I said, smiling uncontrollably.  
It's time to eat, seems like I've got a lot of recovering to do.


	12. Suspecting Lies

Finally! Kyle had recovered enough for the academy to be able to pick him up, and by the way, his doctor had described, he was very strong about his recovering. I heard that he was walking around after his second day in the hospital and even managed to lose the weight he'd put on during his time at the hospital by working out regularly. He's working out again, which was nice for him. It was an always a distraction for Kyle, a distraction from everything, and his way to get rid of his rage. I'd visited him every day for the past week, and our time together was always the highlight of my day. All of the nurses said we were "the cutest couple ever" and adored us both. And now, it was time to pick up my man.

I finished packing my bag when Cordelia walked into the room, her presence instantly making the room warmer and safer. Cordelia was my mother now, we'd decided it when it was a girl's night with her, Queenie and Luna. It was a joke at first, but I think she's half-tempted to make it official, which would actually make me extremely happy.  
"Going to go pick him up?" she asked, smiling at me.  
"I wonder how you guessed that," I joke. "I mean, you're my mother and all."  
"Yeah, about that. What would you think If I made that official?" she asked.  
Oh my god, she was serious? I mean, she'd be a better mother than my actual mother would be, but, I don't know. Everything seemed so important now; the coven, my relationship with Kyle, the girls. An adoptive parent, that would be an amazing addition to my life.  
"I would love that, but why do you ask?" I inquire.

Her face changes from grey to normal colour again.  
"Oh, thank god for that!" she says, holding papers in her hands. "I have the papers if you're ready now."  
So, that was it then, she was my mother now. All I had to do was sign the papers, and it's done. It feels weird at the moment, but I'll quickly grow into it, she was basically my mother anyway. But what about my actual parents? What did they think?  
"What about my parents? Didn't they say anything?"  
Cordelia walks to me, her hands placing down the papers on my bed, before hugging me.  
"They didn't really say anything, they asked about how you were, but that's about it. I'm sorry, Zoe."  
Her words brought anger more than sadness to my heart. They didn't care, did they? They didn't care that their daughter was a powerful witch and that she had a smoking hot boyfriend. No father attitude, no having to be worried about my dad hating my boyfriend, it didn't matter anymore.

"It's okay, Cordelia, or should I say, mother?" I smile, pulling a pen out of my bag.  
Both Cordelia and I laugh hysterically at my attitude towards me, it was a peaceful Sunday, and all the girls would be back from their break soon. I sign the papers and pass it back to her, still smiling.  
"Zoe Benson, you've grown so much since you got here, you've grown into a beautiful young woman. I love you like a daughter, you and Queenie alike. Now, you're both my daughters."  
I hug her once more, this time it was longer and motherly-like. Me and Queenie, were sisters, Cordelia's children. Life was swelled and happy. Now, it was the time I leave to go get the one other person that makes my world much much more. It was the time I picked up Kyle Spencer.

The drive to the hospital wasn't rushed, but quiet. Unlike Kyle, I drive the Porsche with no boost, no real power, instead, I drive it peacefully. I always think about him, there's not a single second that I don't, which was both a gift and a curse. Kyle Spencer, Kyle Spencer, Kyle Spencer. That name just never gets old. At first, I was a little scared of getting close to him, due to my 'black-widow' power. But now that we've, 'done it' a few times, probably more than a few, I'm not nervous anymore. I wish Myrtle Snow was here right now, she'd probably tell us some philosophical term and compare it to our love. This coven has lost a lot over the past year, but that doesn't stop it from thriving, probably one of the highlights of the academy.

Passing through the beauty of New Orleans was one of the two highlights of my morning, the first would have to be being adopted by Cordelia. I can't even believe it's official, already? It was a mere joke a couple nights ago, but now, she's my mother, and Queenie, my sister. My life couldn't be any better right now, I mean, I'm driving a Porsche right now, in New Orleans, and I'm a witch. Any other life I would pass by in a flash, because this one, is perfect. I look at a sign before I pass it, three miles until the hospital left to go, god I'm excited to see him again.

Finally, I arrive at the hospital and park directly out front of it, waiting for my man to show up. I'm five minutes early? Oh god, this is a bunch of bullshit.  
"Jesus, Zoe. You couldn't have chosen a shittier time."  
I wait for a couple minutes, trying very hard to not become stressed. I play my phone, stare at random things, but still nothing, I can't manage to distract myself for five minutes. I stare at the door aimlessly, Kyle should be out by now, shouldn't he? But that's when I see it. Ciri walks out of the hospital, with Kyle.  
"What the fuck is she doing here?!"  
My heart aches in my chest, not because of hurt or angst, but because I'm so angry. Why is she with Kyle?! Why is she with my boyfriend?!

I exit the door, slamming it to make as much noise as possible, just to make sure they both see me. Kyle stares directly at me when the door slams, smiling uncontrollably. As soon as I knew it, he was running up to me, hugging me tightly. I was relieved, but still, angry at the fact Ciri was here with him, but for him, I managed to let away my anger.  
"Hey, baby," Kyle said, pecking my lips with his. "How are things?"  
"Yeah, good," I reply, staring at his shirt. His chest looks more out now, how much did he work out over the week? No doubt my boyfriend was a machine. "I'll explain to you the things that have happened over the week when we get home. You ready to go?"  
"Of course, babe!" He yells, opening the boot of the car and dropping his stuff in. "Ciri walked here, is it possible you can give her a lift home."  
There it was again, the anger flushing its way back in. Can I give her a lift? I don't want to, but I will. I forgot he can't drive while he's on his painkillers, it sucks, but I guess that just means I get more time to drive the Porsche. Ciri, that bitch. I can't just say no, so I'm just going to have to deal with it.  
"Yeah, sure."

The ride home was quite silent in its own way. Ciri was sitting awkwardly in the backseat, scrolling on her phone. Got I wished I just left her behind, it feels wrong to think that, but It's how I feel. She was with my boyfriend when I should have been there, it's jealousy I know, but I don't care. Kyle was staring at me, which wasn't helping at all. Was he trying to dig into my head like he normally does? He was, I knew it, but I wasn't going to let him do it, not this time.  
"So," Kyle said, sparking a conversation I knew I wouldn't want to be in. "What's wrong?"  
I don't want to tell him, I don't want to tell him of my jealousy, so I'm not going to. I'm full of fear, and due to it, I've created a line of suspects, and both Ciri and Kyle are on the top, at least I hope not.  
"Nothing."  
"I think," Ciri said, making me want to hurt her more. "It has something to do with me."

She knew. Somehow she knew exactly what I was thinking. She had told us that she had two powers; telekinesis and telepathy. Cordelia told me that when a witch absorbs more than one power at a young age, they tend to not be able to absorb any others, so there's no chance of her being supreme. But she was still my head the entire time, taking every thought that was in my mind, which only pissed me off more. But if that's the game she wants to play, I'll play the game with her, but this time using Concilium.  
"Ciri," I inquired, staring at her in the rear-view mirror. "What are you doing at the hospital with my boyfriend?"  
"Zoe, what are you doing?" Kyle says, staring at me more.  
"Learning the truth. Are you going to answer my question, Ciri?"  
"I wanted to make you jealous. I like Kyle, and as long as you're in the picture, we can't be together. I want to sabotage your relationship with Kyle and-"  
Her words hurt me viciously but pissed me off at the same time. She wants to ruin us, which is all I have to hear. "That's all I wanted to hear."

We arrive at the academy finally, I'm sick of being in the same car with that bitch. I open the gates using telekinesis instead of using the button, which was one of the only things that stood out in the silence. I look at Kyle, who was staring out the window of the car, looking at nobody. The way he was looking out that window reminded me of the first time he came to the academy, which was after he killed his mother in the rage. He was confused, terrified and alone. The way he looked out that window upset me, not because he was doing it silently, but because he wasn't alone anymore.

I park the car quickly, shooting out of it in a second. I was heading towards the entrance to the house, that was until I heard a soft voice behind me.  
"Hey, bitch!" Ciri says, standing behind me suddenly. "I think you need a time-out."  
I felt her telekinetic grip on me, and after a split second, she threw me to the ground. What is she doing? What game is she playing at now?  
I watch as Kyle gets out of the car and slams the door. "Ciri what are you doing?!"  
I watched Kyle as he was thrown into the Porsche door, creating a massive dent and cracking the window.  
"You bitch!" I scream.  
"Takes one to know one."  
"You're about to know a lot more than that."

I could feel her grip on me again, but I counter it, instead of using my power to my advantage and throwing her to the ground, this time with more force. I let myself off of the ground, feeling the power in my hands, it felt good.

"You get into my head?! I hate you, Zoe!"  
"Good."  
I feel my arms burn up, this time quite literally. A ball of fire forms in my hand with pyrokinesis, which was the first line of this type of power. This feels good, it feels good to take my anger out on this bitch. I watch her get up off the ground, picking up a nearby axe with her mind, the axe of the axeman. What is she doing? She's going to try and kill me.  
"It didn't have to be this way, you know?" she says. "You could have just fucked off."  
"Shut up!"

I watch her as she throws the axe at me in a sudden moment. I transmutate away from the direction of the axe, appearing behind her.  
"You're out of your league," I tell her, the ball of fire still in my hand.  
"You bitch! Shut your mouth."  
I transmutate again, this time I take her with me, up to the roof of the academy. We appear at the edge of it, and I can feel Ciri's face turn white in fear. I let the ball of fire go out before speaking my next words to her.  
"Feels strange doesn't it? Not for me, because I'm more powerful than you think Ciri."  
I watch her shake in front of me, staring over the edge. "What are you going to do with me?"  
"You think I'm weak and that I don't deserve Kyle, I'm going to prove you wrong."

And that's when I push her without thinking, sending her to her doom, down the side of the house. That's what I wanted to do, but I managed to appear at the Porsche again to catch her using telekinesis. Her screams stop when I catch her near the ground, dropping her at a safe distance. I should've let her die, but she isn't worth burning at the stake for, not for anything. Cordelia, Luna and Queenie exit the house, probably due to the commotion.  
"What the hell is going on out here?!" Cordelia screams, looking at both me and Ciri.  
I go to speak, but I'm stopped when I'm thrown onto the ground again. I stare at the deranged and maddened looking teenage girl, she was picking up the axe again. She threw it without hesitation, It flew at me like a wild crow, It was too fast for me to react, this is it.

I hear screaming around me, but one stood out; a male voice, yelling like a war chief. It was like the world was slowing down like everything was going slowly for me. I turn to see Kyle, diving at the handle of the axe, his hand in reach to it. He grips the handle, catching it mid-dive like in an action movie. My knight in shining armour was real, and he was right in front of me. He landed with no problems, rolling onto his feet with the axe, snarling at the girl who threw it.  
"That's enough all of you!" Cordelia yelled, causing all of us to jump, especially Ciri, who was being held by her telekinetic grip. "Can you someone tell me what the hell is going on?!"  
I would If I could, but I don't even know. Ha, a great day my ass.


	13. Consequences, Foolish Thoughts

It's been hours since their fight, and Zoe has stuck in her room while the rest of the Council sort of what they're going to do about Ciri's actions. Cordelia is pissed off at her actions, and so is Queenie, after all, she and Zoe are basically sisters. Zoe had locked herself in her room and didn't want to speak to anyone, not even Kyle, who was stuck wondering what to do in the meantime, so he decides to attend the Council meeting with Cordelia and Queenie. He's now sitting down awkwardly, not sure what to do with the opinions the two members have, and how this is going to play out. And by the stress going around the council members, things weren't going so well.

"We all know why we're hearing, we're here because of the actions that took place a few hours ago; Ciri and Zoe's conflict. A conflict that nearly resulted in the death of our fellow council member Zoe. So guys," Cordelia says, staring at the two others in the room. "What are you're opinions on this?"  
Kyle was going to speak, but Queenie beat him to it.  
"She has endangered Zoe, she attempted to kill her! And if wasn't for Kyle and his, somewhat, human abilities, she would be dead, and we would have had to burn another fellow witch. My opinion is that if she wants to remain here, she has to work for it. And if she doesn't like those fucken' terms, excuse my language, but she needs to fucken' go!"  
Kyle remained silent while Queenie ranted, he could tell that she was pissed off, and he was worse, but he didn't want to show that anger. If it was to come out, there would be extreme consequences for both him and Ciri alike. He knew the reasons why, and he believed they didn't have to know.  
"Kyle? What about you?" Cordelia asks.

There it was, the question he didn't want to answer. But this was Cordelia, this was his and his girlfriend's supreme, one of the few ladies that could dig their ways into his head, without having to use magic. She's been so kind to him, more kind than anyone has ever been, anyone except Zoe. So she could easily tell if something was wrong, one slip of the tongue and she knew, that's all it took. So he had to answer honestly, or he'd have to answer the question a second time, even a third if he didn't answer properly.  
"I was terrified, terrified to lose Zoe. And after the things that Ciri said; how she wants to be me, even if that means ruining my relationship. It hurt more than anything. As soon as I saw that axe fly towards her, I knew I had to act straight away, if I was too slow, she would have been dead, then two people would have died. And I'm saying this right now, you wouldn't have needed to burn her. I, personally think, you should give her a chance to work her evil deeds off, but it's up to you Cordelia."  
That's the only way he could say it, the only way he didn't have to describe how he would have killed Ciri, but it would be nightmarish, even for Kyle. Even though they could easily just revive her, that wasn't the point, Zoe was Kyle's and Kyle was Zoe's, and that's how it was going to be.

He noticed how silent the room had become, straight after his little point of view, and he hated it. He felt like he was being judged like his opinion didn't matter, but that wasn't why they asked the question. They asked him that question because he saved Zoe because he had done something that any normal human, he managed to do what most would call impossible, and that had caught his Supreme's attention. But he couldn't last much longer in the room, he had to get to Zoe.  
"May I be excused from this meeting? I would like to see Zoe."  
"Yes, no problem Kyle. I will see you whenever I see you, and we will let you know what our decision is," Queenie says, staring at her Supreme while doing so.  
Kyle just simply nods and finds himself out of the room.

"Finally, some fresh air," he says to himself. Kyle never did like awkward moments, and he'd never experienced a meeting like that. Not even his meetings with his frat brothers were as serious as that, which was a topic that never ever crossed his mind. He didn't miss them, not even what they were like before they raped Madison, what they were something he would never forget. But now he had something his mind could concentrate on; he could concentrate on finding out if Zoe's okay, and if not, what he can do about it. It was the one thing that kept him calm, and the one thing that stopped him from losing it in the moment.

He finally reaches his bedroom door and there's nothing to hear in there. Complete silence is all that existed in that room, and it made Kyle nervous, nervous enough to think about breaking down that door.  
"Zoe? Are you in there? Talk to me."  
He touches the door and it swings open like it's been open the entire time, but it hasn't and he knows that. He enters the room and see's Zoe sitting their bed, her head looking down at her crossed legs. The way she was sitting, all quiet and alone, makes Kyle feel upset about the whole situation, and he knew the only way to know what's wrong, is to ask about it.  
"Zoe, are you okay?"  
"Yeah," she pauses, looking up at him with tear-swelled eyes. "I'm fine."

Kyle heads towards Zoe and sits beside her on the bed, grasping her hand softly. He knew how to get into her head, but that's not what he's trying to do, instead, he's trying to get her to answer him honestly.  
"Beautiful? Please tell what's wrong."  
Zoe stares at the chocolate eyes of her true-love but doesn't manage to hold in her tears, as they spill out of her eyes, causing her to weep.  
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to think the way I did, I didn't mean to!"  
"What are you talking about, Zoe? What did you think?" He asks her as she continues to cry.  
"I thought you were cheating on me. I know you wouldn't do that, but I, I-"  
"Hey, hey! It's okay, I swear it. I wouldn't ever do that! I wouldn't do that to you, I love you. I nearly had a heart attack when they axe flew at you, I couldn't have lived with myself if you died, I don't know what I would've done."  
Kyle takes Zoe into his arms, cuddling up to the warmness of her body. He shushes her, trying hard to calm her down, and it was working.  
"I promise I'd never do that to you, I'd die for you, I swear it. I love you, Zoe Benson, I would do anything for you."  
"I love you too Kyle Spencer, I'm sorry I did that to you, I'd die for you too. But none of us is dying, if we do, we'll go together."  
"Amen to that," he says, kissing her forehead lovingly.

Cordelia sits in her office, holding her hair in stress and boredom. Her decision was hard, but she managed to allow herself to forgive Ciri, so she could another chance. Probably one of the hardest decisions she'd done in a long time, ever since she decided to get rid of her Fiance. Now she sits alone, enjoying the silence while it lasts, she knows it won't, there's always drama with the girls in the house. She's having a drink for the first time since her mother died, it was a long day for her, and the rest of the academy. She even wanted a smoke, which was unlike her, she hated smoking, ever since her mother started she'd hated it, so it was weird for her to want one. The silence is well until her phone begins to vibrate.

"Oh, shit. What now?!"  
She looks at her phone, her anger quickly turning to more stress.  
"Shit! Not again, not again!"  
She looks at the text she was just sent, and it was happening again, another threat, another worry, another battle to fight. Have they not lost enough already? Have they not stressed enough? This text is different, more primitive and simple, like whoever sent it had a secret meaning to it, a meaning they weren't going to ignore. And so it is, the threatening words that consisted of the words:

Hello there :)  
I'm glad to see the Academy is doing well!  
It's been a long time... I guess it's time I make a grand appearance  
Day's have been misty lately, especially where I've been  
I'm coming for you all  
Especially you Cordelia, you stupid failure of a Supreme  
I'm coming for all of you! :)

Just another day in paradise.


	14. Simple Assessments

I eyes flicker open, burning the light that was entering them. The morning is warm but I could hear the wind quietly rustling outside of the academy, already signs of a nice day. I stretch under the soft blankets of the bed, instantly noticing the lack of Kyle's presence, I always hate when he does that. Kyle is always one to get up early, whether by choice or by the nightmares he has, he always ends up getting up anyway. There have been few scenarios where he has stayed with me, they are always the best of mornings, I missed them a lot, but I guess some things never change. Then I hear footsteps coming up the hall and towards the door, the door opens.

"Hey, beautiful."  
Kyle's voice was alerting but also calming to my ears. He closed the door softly, holding a tray that he quickly places on the table then slides to our bed. Before I can say hello back, he leans in and kisses me, sliding right beside me while doing so. Our kiss passionately lasts a long while, but I wish it lasted longer.  
"What are you doing with the tray?" I giggle, kissing his neck lovingly.  
"It's our breakfast," he smiles back at me, those dimples winking at me cheekily.  
He made me breakfast, oh my god, just like before, I did say some things never change. But it looked different, it wasn't Starbucks or any local coffee, the coffee was in a mug, how exciting.  
"Did you make breakfast?"  
Kyle's face lights up the moment I say that his cheeks glowing a fiery red colour. "Yes, I thought it'd be a good change, but If you want I can-"  
"I love it," I whisper in his ear, biting it softly.

I kick myself off of the bed, heading straight towards the table, not caring that I was still in just my underwear. I saw him stare at my butt, but I didn't care, it was his to see anyway. I look at the food he had made; two cups of coffee and some bacon and eggs. But there was only one plate full of bacon and eggs, did he not get food for himself? I stare at him, letting my eyebrows do all of the talking.  
"What?" he says, picking up his coffee and sipping it.  
"Where's your food?"  
"Oh," he pauses. "I don't need any breakfast, baby. I'll be okay."  
I pick up a piece of bacon and break it in half, placing it near Kyle's mouth. He shakes his head but I'm not going to take it away from him, not until he has a bite. He rolls his eyes then takes a bite, smiling while chewing on the soft pig meat. I take the last bite of the bacon, placing the plate on my lap.  
"We're going to eat it together, okay?"  
"I won't argue with you, baby. I actually enjoyed that, damn I'm a good cook."  
"Oh, shut up!" I giggle.

We finish our breakfast and I go to our wardrobe, looking for my black jeans. I was used to the colour of the academy; black, black and more fucking black. Kyle didn't mind the colour but he always wears white singlets for simple tasks like cutting wood or shopping, seems to be the colour he likes most. Everything was quiet, it was the peak of the weekend and all of the girls were off, as usual, even Queenie went away to see her cousins down in South Carolina. It was just Kyle, I, Luna and Cordelia in the house. Cordelia and Luna have gotten close lately, always going into the market for shopping and watching movies, it's good that Cordelia has someone to share time with when Queenie and I are busy. I put on my jeans right in the midst of time, because I hear a knock on the door.

"Come in!" Kyle and I, laughing like children at the thought of us jinxing on another.  
Cordelia walks in, wearing casual clothes for a change, but she was holding her phone. She looks tired and stressed out, what's going on?  
"Hey, Cordelia. What's up?" I ask her.  
"I'm well. I know this is the weekend, but this is important." Her voice said it all; worry and distress, this isn't good. I know Cordelia and I can tell when there's something wrong, it's a witch thing, and I can feel a lot of bad energy splicing off of her.  
"Sounds important," Kyle snarks. "What is it?"  
"We've had another threat," Cordelia says, making shivers go down my spine. Not again. "It was sent last night, but this time, it seems much different. Seems like this person knows us, or has been spying on us at the least. But it seems that they were poor about sending the message, and this is when you guys come in. You're going to see our 'watcher', Jason Lunar, he is also a tech guy that knows how to track text messages. So if it's possible, he'll know how to do it. Before you say anything, if you complete this task, you will have an additional three days off."  
"Alright," Kyle says, answering quicker than I expected him to. "Any tips?"  
"Don't piss Jason off, he's a member of the high moon pack, so he'll have quite a temper."

She leaves the room, quietly closing the door behind her. There's no way, no way that- no- a member of the High Moon Pack?! She's got a werewolf working for us?! Kyle wouldn't understand the name of the pack, he only knows of the different types of witches and hunters, it's all Cordelia thought he should know. A werewolf working for witches never thought I'd see the day of that happening, especially after hearing about what the witches have done to their kind.  
"Zoe?" Kyle says, his soft voice catching my attention.  
"Yeah?"  
"When she said High Moon Pack, she wasn't referring to werewolves, right?"  
Good one, Kyle, always a step ahead of the game. Kyle is extremely intelligent, more intelligent than when he was freshly resurrected. He was kinda' back to his normal state now, took its time but he did get there, the undead strength and rage though, that is permanent.  
"Yes, Kyle. We're going to have to be extra careful with these ones, werewolves have been known to hunt and murder witches, so the fact that we're suddenly working with one, confuses me."  
"Alright, Zoe. No mistakes, no killings today, I'd prefer if this assessment was quick and clean."  
"I agree."

The drive was quick and restless, but we finally got to our destination, and by the look of it, it was quite a shady part of New Orleans. The place looked like a mechanic's shop but with less style and care. Werewolves were known to live in burrows in the Iron Age, but it wasn't that time anymore, now they live in drug dens or anywhere that they believe are worth living in. Never thought that I'd ever meet one, to be honest, I heard that a dozen or less lived in the New Orleans area in the seventies, I couldn't imagine what the number is now. We exit the Porsche, Kyle makes sure that it's completely locked and we walk towards the shotty looking building. We're centimetres away from the door when it opens on its own, revealing a casually dressed man with curly black hair and a large scar that went from his eye to his chin.

"Well hello there," he said. "I'm Jason, you must be Cordelia's witch and her guard-dog."  
I could feel a bad energy already flowing off of Kyle, and could hear the snarl-like breathing he was doing. The sound was familiar, his temper was being tested.  
"Damn, man, I was kidding. Jesus fucking Christ, I can smell the bad emotion coming off of ya'! Come in, come in! I'm sure you two will want to finish this so you could all just go home and do whatever' ya' want."  
Great, the werewolf can smell my emotions and sense my thoughts, that's exactly what I want. I bet Kyle's scent is a scent to behold. We walk into the building, instantly smelling the scent of pot and alcohol, but you could also smell how much they tried to hide it with air freshener, at least they were thinking about their guests.  
"Over here is where the magic is going to happen," he chuckles. "No pun intended of course!"  
I pass him over the phone and he grips it quickly, nearly snatching it out of my hand, but apologising afterwards.

His computer looked expensive, like those stereotypical hacker computers you'd see in an FBI movie or something like that. He must work for high amounts of money because by the look of the computer he has packed in a large corner of the building, it may have cost him a fortune. It didn't seem right though, werewolves suddenly working for witches, Cordelia must have paid him a lot for this.  
"Hey, Jason!" A voice says from upstairs. "Who the fuck are these people?!"  
"Calm it, Todd. This is Zoe Benson and Kyle Spencer, members of Miss Robichaux's Academy. They're here for a simple job, shouldn't take me too long by the look of it."  
I look up at Todd, who was with another guy with blonde hair. All three of them had scars on their eyes, like some type of battle-scar, that made it obvious that they were all werewolves. Three werewolves living in the same house, beta-werewolves most likely, all three, with no Alpha, that's very odd for the werewolf kind.  
"How do you know us so well?" Kyle snarls, his eyes meeting the werewolves.  
"It's my job, they don't call me a 'watcher' for no reason."

He plugs the phone into the computer and like that, a black screen full of codes appears instantly. The codes were confusing, even for Kyle, and he apparently took an advanced technology class when he was still in high school.  
"This is interesting, very very interesting," Jason says to himself.  
"What is," I ask him, confused about his babbling.  
"Seems like whoever sent this text, wants to be found. I'm going to take extreme care with this one, and use satellite imagery to find the location of which this was sent. It's going to be easy, but It'll take a few minutes, Y'all are welcome to sit down for those minutes if you'd like?"  
Jason was polite, which wasn't surprising because it seems that they don't get a lot of guests. His Scottish accent gave away his family traits and where he's from, but I found it cool, not sure about Kyle though. I lean against their sofa, watching Kyle as he walks around the building observing everything like he does, he hated the guard-dog comment, I was sure of that, but he promised he wouldn't get into trouble, and so far he's in complete control.

"And walla! We are completely sorted."  
I go back to the computer, noticing the satellite image as being familiar to my eyes, even in bird's eye view. Swamps, gardens and lots of land. Is it- Is it Misty Day's shack? Why would someone go there to ambush anyone, it's empty. But then I realise how often some witches go there to get the swamp mud for quick healing of scars, so if whoever sent the text has been on constant spy duty, and we have to make sure nobody goes there until the matter is resolved.  
"Kyle," I say to catch his attention. "The threat came from Misty Day's shack."  
"That's impossible, we should call Cordelia as soon as possible."  
"I suggest you do that now, mate," Jason says.

I take my phone out of my bag and dial Cordelia's number straight away. This is important, this is more complicated and what it was originally supposed to be, this was supposed to be a simple assessment. Cordelia picks up straight away, her soft voice distracting me from the situation.  
"Hey, Zoe. How's the assessment going?"  
"We found out where the text had come from, Misty Day's shack. I don't why or when they got there, but the hunters or whoever it is, is playing us. We need to sort this out today or anytime sooner or-"  
"Zoe! Listen to me! You will not, you will NOT go near that place! I will sort this out myself, I will not have any more of my girls die! You understand me?"  
"Yes, my supreme."  
"This isn't a request, go near there and there will be consequences, maybe not even from me. So I'm going to risk that, tell Kyle that as well, no mistakes."  
I hang up the phone, placing back into my bag. I've never heard her like that before, ever since I've been at the academy. This isn't good.  
"What is it?" Kyle asks me, his eyes saying it all. "You look a little pale."  
"It's nothing," I know I lied, but I have to for his sake, he'll just go there if I tell him not to. "It's nothing."


	15. From Curiosity, To Mistakes

The ride has been silent since I started the car, too silent, a silence that bothers me in a way. Zoe was overthinking the situation since it began, she wants to do something about it, I don't know, maybe even kill the threat, but that's something I don't want her to do. Zoe isn't a killer, she shouldn't be, she's killed four people; Spalding, Archie the rapist fuck, the axeman, and good riddance, but her ex-boyfriend Charlie, I believe that is enough for her. I feel an utter hatred for her ex-boyfriend, even though he's already dead, I know it's wrong, but I guess it's a boyfriend thing. Zoe shouldn't have to kill anyone, it should be left for the guard-dog, it should be left for me. Killing scares me, more than I could ever tell Zoe because I lose control in the moment, the blood and the adrenaline, it's consuming. When I saw Zoe get shot, I lost myself, I was back in my hell, ready to kill and ready not to feel anything while doing it. I was back in my former-Frankenstein state, I couldn't feel anything, I saw her hit the ground, and I thought she was dead, which terrified and destroyed me at the same time. Without Zoe, I'm nothing, I'm just a shell with a lost mind inside, I couldn't live without her, I couldn't-

"Hey, Kyle? You still with me?"  
"I'm still with you, beautiful."  
She broke me from terrible thoughts once again, the bad thoughts, the worse ones ever to inhabit my mind. She was good at that, I love her for helping me break through those thoughts all of the time, saves me from a lot of overthinking. My overthinking leads to a lot of bad things, some I couldn't ever admit to her, it would break her heart, and I can never have that.  
"Good, I don't know what I'd do if you left me. I love you too much for you to leave me." Her voice is, I don't even know how to describe it. First time I saw Zoe Benson, it felt like my heart melted and then began to beat for someone else's, for her. Seeing her threw that ice, was angelic, crazy and beautiful, it was a powerful moment for us because there was no us at that time, but it was a beginning between us. I loved her at first glance, I knew that from the beginning, and when I was killed in that incident with the bus, I still loved her, my hell showed me that more. I remember few things when I was freshly-resurrected, glances of seeing her face, nothing besides that. I apparently tried to put a gun to my mouth and end it again, and she saved me from doing so, and that's apparently the moment she knew she loved me.

I turned to see her staring at me, her hand my hand that's on the car steering-wheel, somehow I managed to keep driving through my overthinking-trance. The feeling of her soft hands was distracting if anything, but a good type of distracting. Her mind didn't seem like it was concentrating on the situation anymore, only me.  
"I'm okay, Zoe. Just thinking as all."  
"Oh yeah?" she asks me. "About what? Overthinking again?"  
I just look at her, saying nothing. It's not like she didn't already know, she always knows, she doesn't need any witch powers to know either.  
"You have to try and calm your mind, Kyle. Cordelia swears that any herbs she gives you will help, she trusts you, and you should know that she wouldn't give you something that was useless. I know since Rhi things have been hard but-"  
"Alright, Zoe," I say to her, dragging her hand to my lips so I may kiss it. "I promise I'll try some of Cordelia's herbs, as long as the side effects aren't, how should I say this? Mesmerising."  
She giggled at that comment, she noticed my reference to weed, I already found it stupid. I still hate my past, and the number of drugs that were involved with it, I was a stupid teenage full of pain. I would have done anything to get rid of the fact that I was.. complicated.

We weren't far from the academy, and Zoe seemed pleased about it, but now I was being bothered by the situation. It didn't make sense to me, not even in the slightest. Why would hunters be in an old witch hut? The way hunter's hunt, they usually go to their targets, not wait until their targets go to them. It seemed weird, I've never heard anything about that type of hunting. How do we even know it's hunters anyway? There are many other possibilities. It could be a rogue witch, Cordelia told me that she's seen a long history of them and the chaos they've caused. Could be some type of swamp creature people having apparently spotted around the streets of New Orleans, no, the text, that doesn't make sense. It could even be, the Crescent-Moon Pack, Jason told me that that werewolf pack is big, the biggest pack to ever exist around the New Orleans area, powerful enough to crush the witches within days. But then again, Jason also told me they mysteriously disappeared last year, like they were banished or something. There are so many possibilities, but I'm still not satisfied, I guess there's really only one way to know for sure.

"Zoe, I'm going to drop you off then go for a drive, to clear my mind."  
"Alright, be careful Kyle and don't take too long. I have a surprise for you at the house," she smirks, her beautiful smile laying in front of me. "I bet you'll love it."  
We arrive at the academy gates, and I can already see Queenie and Luna waiting for her, which always makes me happy. I'm glad she has a connection with those girls, a powerful sisterhood, a bond that could never separate them. They're powerful as one, as witches, as sisters, even I could feel that energy.  
"Wow, they're waiting for you already? You better go then, babe."  
She opens the door, slowly beginning to find her way out of her seat, until she stops.  
"I have to do this first," she says, her lips flushing their way to mine, creating another moment of perfection. But this kiss felt so different in comparison to the others, felt fresh, new and powerful. Felt like our very first kiss all over again, the thing that started it all. The taste of cherries and strawberries soaked my mouth like heavy rain. It was amazing, spontaneous, extraordinary, every good word in the book, and I wish it didn't ever have to end. She pulls back and smiles at me, kissing the tip of my nose lovingly.  
"Like I said," she pauses, "Don't take too long."  
"I believe me," I rev the engine, making it roar vigorously. "I don't plan on it. I love you, Zoe."  
"I love you, Kyle!"

The drive to the swamps was extremely anticipating, and I already hated it. My hands were shaking on the wheel, but I was still on the road, which is always good. The streets of New Orleans had disappeared five minutes ago, now I was entering the roads that lead to the beautiful spot I introduced to Zoe. Instead of heading up those roads, I head down a different one, a road that doesn't look as pleasant, but not entirely shitty. I was surprised that the Porsche was handling the dirt road so well, but the engine was roaring like crazy, It won't be long before I have to pull over and walk the rest of the way. The fields that existed around the area of her shack was overgrown now, I kinda' remember it being beautiful, but then again, my vision was one-hundred percent when I was fucked up. I could hear the rocks grinding up the bottom of the Porsche, I guess that's my queue.

I pull the Porsche over, a far distance away from the road, just to give people room if they ever decide to drive in an area full of alligator infested waters, I highly doubt that.  
"Fuck. Alright, Kyle. Alright, Kyle. You can do this," I say to myself, trying to take off any pressure that is on my mind. "You can do this. Where'd you hide it again?"  
I open the glove box, revealing the Five-Seven Assault Pistol I stored in for safe keeping. I don't want to have to use this, I just got myself out of the hospital, I don't feel like going back there again, as well as taking someone's life today. I contemplate bringing it, but I end up stashing it in the back pocket of my jeans, I gotta' remember this is only for safe keeping, nothing more. I exit the car, slowly closing the door like it'll be the last time I'll see it. I can see the top of the shack from where I'm standing, now all I have to do is walk there, which doesn't seem it will take longer.

The closer and closer I get to the shack, the quieter and quieter my steps are becoming. I don't know who or what's going to be in there, all I know is if they decide to attack, I'll be sure to kill them. I begin to pass the grassy and overgrown fields, staying a little away from it, god knows if an alligator is in there waiting for me. I pull my handgun out, no idea why, but I have chills down my spine while I do it. I turn the safety off and pull the hammer down, ready for anything now, but then I peak my around to see the shack, there are no cars.  
"What the fuck is going on here?" I ask myself, staring at the empty strip of dirt and gravel.  
There are no cars here? Were there cars on the satellite image? I wish I could remember, I wouldn't be so skittish If I could. I sneak up to the shack, making sure every step is silent as can be, my vision sharp and my weapon ready. I stop and lean down, listening for any sign of activity inside, but there's still nothing. I can't even hear the snarling of alligators or even crickets for that fact. Pure silence, I hate it, so much stress is coming from it. Time for the grand finale.

I head towards the door of the shack, not thinking about entering it, doing that anyway. There could be a shotgun on the other side of that door, and it'd be too late, I'm rushing. Stop, Kyle. I can't stop. I enter the hut.  
"Alright, I'm here!" I yell as I enter the shack.  
Nothing. Not a single sign of anyone here, no sense of life. Was this a simple-minded prank? A ruse to attempt to piss the academy off? People know of the attack, and the lives that were lost to it, luckily enough nobody knows that I did any of the killings. And there are assholes in New Orleans, people that would think about doing something like a prank to do with this. I hate the thought, it's blind-siding bullshit. I can feel the stress begin to disappear as I look at my gun. I never had to use this, bringing it was useless, there's nobody here. I stare at the weapon for a brief moment, staring at its metal exterior like it was a diamond. I go to put it away, but that's when the metal begins's to crack and bend.

The gun is yanked from my hand and swings behind me, like magic. I go to turn around but It's like I can't like someone is holding me still with a grip hard to break out of. Every time I try to move, it just hurts, hurts so much, like someone was driving pins in and out of my skin.  
"Who are you?! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"  
"Well, hello Kyle."  
The voice sounds dark and menacing like someone is talking through broken glass. I manage to look down at the ground, noticing footsteps of ash, bare-foot prints. The voice sounds possessed like it's something else from this world, the only problem is, I can't turn around to check. The grip is starting to make my mind feel like it's lost. "That voice, darkness lingering in it, but so familiar. No," I pause, realising the familiarity in the voice, someone I never thought I'd see again. "It's you, It's-"  
I'm pushed forward, towards the wall of the shack, preparing for impact.

Black. I knew I shouldn't have come here.


	16. Lost Pup

It's been hours since I saw Kyle last. He said he was going for a simple drive, and that was five hours ago, at eleven in the morning. Where the fuck is he? He never takes this long, especially when he's driving that Porsche, he's always fucking speeding. But now he's four hours late home, one hour he normally drives, not this god damn long. I'm worried he's crashed it, but there's been nothing one the radios, or the TVs, nothing at all. His painkillers have a fatiguing effect on them, so if he's taken them, and he's crashed it- No, stop thinking that, Zoe. I search through my bag to see if he's left them here, and by the look of the capsules in the little white container in my bag, he has. It can't be them then. Has he gone to a bar? Got into some trouble? Car trouble maybe? The possibilities are endless, and that's what worries me. My sense of worry Is probably annoying, both for Kyle and when I bitch, Cordelia and Queenie, but at least I show that I care. I'm his girlfriend, aren't I supposed to be worried about him? There are monsters that lurk in this world, monsters that scare even a witch like me, but when I'm with him, I'm fearless, he's my hero, he makes the monsters fearful, and that makes me feel calm and safe. Without Kyle, I'm not even going to think about it, I know what he'd do for me, what's he's already done, I feel like he shouldn't have to do the things he's done, but I guess, It's not always in even a Supreme's hands.

I slam my bag against my bed, causing a shockwave of stress and anger, hard enough to make the pictures on my wall shake. I sit on my bed, thinking hard about the places he normally goes to, both good and possibly bad, which makes another long line of possibilities. Definitely endless possibilities.  
"You okay, Miss Zoe?" Luna asks, suddenly appearing at the door. Luna was always the doll of the Academy, fifteen and as beautiful as a butterfly, soft voice and lovely personality. She is the soft one, and possibly the weirdest out of all of the girls, her special ability, Elektrokinesis, extremely rare for normal every day witches, I asked Cordelia about it, but she refused to answer. Cordelia has secrets, secrets she better start sharing with her council, or her council won't be so cooperative with her.  
"Yes, Luna. Kyle is still gone, that's all. I'm stressed," I say.  
"You love him, don't you?"  
When I look at Luna, her smile says it all. She isn't stupid, she knows about love and its effects, she's fifteen and knows a lot more than what I did, please, I killed my first boyfriend when I lost my virginity to him. Luna is different, she doesn't have that curse, not that I know of anyway. Half of the girls aren't pure anymore, and I haven't heard about any deaths caused by it, but Luna, I'm not sure she's done it, maybe she's the smart one. Maybe she's like what I am now, not like what I was, she's smarter, she'll wait for the right person, someone like Kyle, but not Kyle! I'm not going through that again.

"Yes, Luna. I love Kyle, love him more than anything in this entire world."  
"That's really nice! I'm happy for you both!" Luna yells, smiling right at me.  
"Thank you, Luna. Means a lot coming from another witch, one that particularly doesn't want to steal my boyfriend."  
"I'm a lot smarter than that, Miss Zoe," her soft voice somehow crafted words like they were silver, free-styled them like a song. I'm happy she's a friend of mine, because I trust most of the girls, but not as much as I trust Luna Ravenperch.  
"I was thinking, if you really want to check up on Kyle, you can always use Dafindum Nimbus, It's a gathering spell that allows its user to see the person I want to, as long as they have a strand of hair or something like that."  
Dafindum Nimbus? How come I've never heard of that spell? It's not a part of the Seven Wonders, maybe because it's not like the magic most witches can freely use, you need an ingredient by the sounds of it, that's more of a spell rather than magic. But how does she know about it?  
"Um, Luna? How is it you know about this sort of stuff?" I ask her, kind've demanded an answer from her.  
"It's in my studies, Miss Luna. Miss Cordelia told all of us to study and perform a spell from one of the spell books in the library, and that one seemed to be the one I found the most, appealing."  
"Appealing?" I say, confused one that particular word.  
"I want to be able to see my brothers, as soon as my parents found out I was a witch, they threw me out and sent me here, I just wanted to see them."  
She's just like me, cast out by her parents, expected to survive without them, it's hard, but it's manageable. She misses her siblings, but not her parents, I don't blame her, they sound like a bunch of assholes, but I'll keep my opinion to myself.  
"I'm really sorry to hear that, Luna, my parents did the same to me, kinda' glad though, I wouldn't have met Kyle otherwise. Things happen for a reason, and you'll figure that out when you find somebody you truly care about."  
"I hope you're right," she says.

She's hurt, by the sound of her voice, the look on her face and the paleness of her skin, she's completely and utterly hurt, just like me. I watch her as she slowly tiptoes her way towards me, initially stopping when she sits on my bed, then before I can see the tears come from her eyes, I bring her close to me in a hug. I shush her, telling her everything will be okay and it's the way things are, and that things like this always happen because good will come out of it, I'm not even sure she's listening to me, but at least I'm saying something. She slips her hand into her bag, pulling out a small spell book, looks like a notebook, but a really small version of one. She opens the book to a highlighted page, Dafindum Nimbus, and god it looks much simpler than I expected. I need two ingredients; a strand of Kyle's hair and a drop of my own blood. I close the book and turn to Kyle's pillow, instantly seeing a long strain of his blonde hair, grasping it with telekinesis. I turn to see Luna, but she's already on the floor with set candles, drawing the necessary symbols we need with chalk, clever girl.

"So, Miss Luna," she smiles, somehow that angelic-looking grin reappearing like nothing happened. "We going to find your love, or not?"  
"You don't have to ask me twice."  
I sit down beside her, and she pulls a knife from the top of my table, her eyes asking permission to take a drop of my blood. I nod my head, and she quickly and softly jabs the knife into the top of my finger, and like that, the smallest drop of my blood lands in the middle of the chalk signs. I drop Kyle's hair on the blood, and as soon as they touch, it causes a reaction, the flame of the candles flicker. I can feel my hands shake at the anticipation, I literally can't stop them at all, it feels excruciating for me.  
"It's working!" Luna yells.  
"Now with have to say those words together, understand? At the same time, in three, two, one."  
"Dafindum Nimbus! Dafindum Nimbus! Dafindum Nimbus! Dafindum Nimbus! DAFINDUM NIMBUS!"  
Our voices echo in the room, and the flames of the candles begin to go crazy. My hands shake more, but this time I doubt its the anticipation. I feel like I'm changing somehow, my vision mostly, I gasp at the pain in my eyes, and then they go dark.

White flickering. My vision isn't clear on what I'm seeing, but what I can hear makes it easy to interpret; crickets and chains rustling around. The only place I can think of that has that, is Misty Day's hut. Did he go there? Did he investigate? I should have told him not to! But then I start to hear voices, one familiar to me, Kyle.  
"Let me go you bitch!"  
"No, no, no, no! I don't think I will, Kyle. You see, I'm here to send your coven a message, a message that easily is understood if I was to kill you."  
The dark voice, it sounds demonic, unlike anything I've ever heard before. It doesn't sound even the slightest bit human and the fact that whatever it is just said that it may kill Kyle, I'm already starting to panic.  
"You won't kill me, I'll remove your fucking head before you can even touch me!"  
Stop talking Kyle, please stop talking, it'll just kill you faster.  
"In those chains, I doubt it, now, shut it!"  
The sound of Kyle's screams drives me out of the vision and back at the Academy, and I'm already in a panicked state.  
"Miss Zoe! What did you see?! You have to tell me." Her voice is just as panicked as mine, maybe worse, she's never seen a council member so distraught, I hope she never does again.  
"Kyle is in trouble, he's been kidnapped and I'm pretty sure where he is. Get Queenie and whoever else you think is useful, anyone but Cordelia! She can't know about this! WE GOTTA GO!"  
The hunt is on.


	17. The Hunt

The car was completely empty when we left the Academy, everything from books to herbs was just dumped on the veranda. I was in such a hurry, I almost left Queenie behind. Luna made sure to get Queenie specifically, but then she got someone else to come with us, someone she trusts, but someone I don't, she got Ciri to come along with us. For some particular reason, I agreed to her terms, I don't trust her, I don't want her with me, but I guess we're going to need all of the help we can get, even if it is her. Whatever is happening to Kyle at this very second, it has to stop, I want it to stop, I'll kill whoever is hurting him if I have to. I don't like the idea of killing, but when someone decides to cross my boyfriend, they'll get what's coming to them. The anger, the hunger inside of me, the hunger to make those responsible suffer, it's consuming, it's letting out an energy that Cordelia could easily sense if she was here right now, maybe even Queenie can sense it, but won't say anything. I'm glad I have her with me, she's one the most powerful and respectable witches I know, and the fact that's she's sitting beside me in the car makes the thought of this rescue mission easier for me. All of us know why we're here, every single one of us has the same similar task; save Kyle Spencer.

The car was going well over the speed limit, but it was too late for the authorities to catch me, I was already out of the city and into the headlands. The rest of the girls had their seat-belts clipped in like they were going on a roller-coaster, doesn't surprise me, I don't have mine on at one-hundred and twenty-five miles an hour, Cordelia would ban me from driving if she ever found this out. I was losing myself in the drive, almost to the point of blacking out, I'm coming to you Kyle, I'll be there soon.  
"Zoe! You listen to me, girl?! I said slow down!" Queenie's yelling broke me from my trance, and I slow down the car, slightly.  
"Yeah, yeah, sorry. I've been thinking too much."  
"Yeah? No shit, you were going nearly twice the speed limit," Queenie snarls. "Fucking could've killed us all, then Kyle wouldn't have anyone to save his ass."  
"Scared the shit outta' me, Zoe!" Luna screams, chuckling a little afterwards.  
"I said I was sorry, alright!"  
To my surprise, Ciri is extremely quiet, hasn't said anything since she came into the car, I mean, I do enjoy the silence, but it's still odd to me. They're pissed off, and that doesn't surprise me, If I was a terrible driver, I probably would have killed us all. I didn't really explain the situation, I only said to the three girls in the car with me that Kyle's in trouble, nothing more, anyway, that should be enough to persuade them all.

"Are you actually going to explain what the fuck is going on?! Kyle's in trouble, yeah, but who do you know that for sure?" Queenie asks, well not really asking, more of a demanding way of asking.  
"I was worried about him-"  
"As always," Queenie says, interrupting me completely.  
"I was worried about him and I thought that he was having car troubles. I wanted to know for sure, and Luna showed me a spell that would allow me to do what I wanted, we cast a spell and I didn't see him exactly, but I heard him, talking to somebody, and that person didn't sound human. It spoke about him being in chains, and when Kyle was himself and tried to break out of them, I heard him screaming. I believe he tried to investigate Misty Day's hut, and he was attacked, kidnapped, and now in the midst of being severely tortured. Sure, Kyle can handle a lot of trauma, but I'm not going to let him suffer. So unless you want to kick me out of this car and make me walk, that will only slow me down, I'm getting there whether you or even our fucking Supreme likes it."  
"Okay, Zoe. If you heard what you said you heard, then we better speed up."  
"With pleasure."

The car we're indefinitely isn't as fast as the Porsche, but we've made it past the headlands and towards the roads that lead to the swamps of New Orleans, so it's a start. I look in the rear-view mirror to see what Ciri is doing, just looking out of the window, staring into the dark. I want to say something, possibly a thank you for coming, but then I remember what she said she wanted to do to Kyle and me's relationship. I battle myself and say nothing, the easiest thing to do I guess, this isn't about or feud, this is about making sure Kyle is completely safe. Nothing more would make me happier than to see him in one piece, Kyle can take a lot of pain, but he'll give in sooner or later, depending on what it's using to torture him. Stop thinking about it, Zoe, it'll just make you angrier. Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!  
"Zoe, is that Kyle's Porsche?" Ciri asks, pointing into a black car shaped object in the apex of the long grass. Is that it? It has to be, why else would there be a black Porsche out here. The hut, it's right there, right in front of us. Do I continue to drive in? Do I stop to sneak in with the others? No, fuck it, I'm just going to storm in and kill the son of a bitch who thought it'd be smart to attack my Kyle.

I park on the gravel beside the hut, noticing the lack of light everywhere. How has it gotten this dark already? It can't be that late, can it? I look at the time on the dashboard of the car, but the time is going crazy, flickering and changing rapidly. What the hell is going on? I take my hands off of the wheel and put the window down, waiting for anyone to come running out of that hut, either gun blazing or worse. The wait is unbearable, it's either I got the wrong location or whoever is inside, is really good at waiting out.  
"Are we going to go in, Zoe?" Ciri asks, holding the door handle, ready to act on my signal.  
"Yeah, let's go, all of us."  
All four of us exit the vehicle together, closing each of our doors silently. I decided I'm not messing around with the situation and lead in front, heading straight towards the hut quickly, not thinking about what is behind that door. All I want to see is Kyle, alive, nothing else. Then, I want to see the person or thing that is responsible for attacking Kyle, and I want them to suffer immensely, scream for me, and I'm going to watch them as they die. I open the hut door, noticing how dark it is inside, I can't see anything in there. I go to use the torch on my phone, but the battery is out, it went from one-hundred percent to zero since we got here. This isn't right.

I create a fireball with my hand using Pyrokinesis, which lights up the room like a flash of lightning in the storm that appeared the moment we got here. Light consumes the room, and like that, I can see him. I gasp at the sight of him, all beaten up and chained to a chair, his chocolate eyes staring at me like he was in shock. His mouth filled with a dirty sock and his eyes stained like dry tears. What have they done to you? What did they use to torture you? Where the hell they? I go to walk towards Kyle, but I'm stopped by a grip on my body, a telekinetic grip. The sound of Kyle's muffled voice says it all; it's an ambush, it has been all along. I'm thrown into a wall of the hut, but I don't land on the ground, I stick to the wall like a pancake. Queenie and Luna look over to the corner of the hut, a darkness covered figure stands there, completely cloaked. Queenie tries to react but she stops when the same thing happens to her, alongside Luna, they're both thrown and stuck onto walls. Ciri tries to escape but the figure twists her hand, and what's followed is the most disgusting break I've ever heard, Ciri's leg is broken like it was a twig, which causes her to scream.

"Yes, yes, scream for me."  
"Fuck. You!" Ciri screams in the cloaked figures face but stops due to the pain.  
"Yes, my child. It will all be over soon," the cloaked figure says. "Very soon."  
The figure moves to the middle of the hut, the darkness fading away to reveal just a cloak. But as the darkness fades away from the figure, so does the darkness in the room, and we can see the sun again like it was never night, to begin with. What the hell is going on? I can feel its eyes on me, staring me down, and it gives me chills.  
"What do we have here? The council members of their Academy, here for a simple reanimated corpse? You disgust me. All four of you are here, for him? I gotta' say, Zoe, I thought you were smarter than just to rush in like that, I'm disappointed in you, same with you Queenie."  
How does it know our names? Who is this person? What do they want from us, from Kyle?  
"Who the hell are you?!" I yell. "Why did you attack Kyle? What do you want?"  
"I want a lot of things; I want power, I want destruction in my wake, and I want revenge. Hmm, I'm surprised you don't recognise my voice."  
How can I? It's demonic and dark, monstrous in its own way, how am I supposed to recognise that?  
"Who are you, bitch!" Queenie yells, trying to break from what seems like an unbreakable grip.

"You know, I didn't want to have to do this, I mean, it should have been a guessing game. We were all once friends, sisters, all of us, together. But your Coven's ways destroyed me, cursed me, broke me, murdered me, and made me into the creature I am now. I once had an ambition, one that was simple; create a world in my image, but now my image that changed from peaceful, to the exact opposite. Why? Because none of you did anything! Who am I?! I'll show you."  
The cloaked figure takes off their disguise, dropping it to the ground, revealing the one under that cloak. The figure is quite thin, with a broken looking body. The hair is long, curly, dark blonde, the clothes are dark and mysterious looking. But the face, it gives it all away. No. No way- it can't be, you're dead? There's no way you're here right now. How? What? When? What the fuck?  
"Misty Day?!" I gasp, staring down at my now demonic looking friend; darkened eyes, pale skin. What has happened to you?  
"Hello girls, it's been a long time."


	18. The Beginning Of War

"Misty Day?!" I gasp, staring at my now demonic looking friend; darkened eyes, pale skin. What has happened to you?  
"Hello girls, it's been a long time."  
The smile on her face is possibly the evilest thing I've ever seen, unnatural happiness, a type of violent happiness. She's made the introduction she wanted, now we're all here, in the hut, most of us caught between a wall and a rogue witch. One in cursed chains. Is she still a witch? How is she here? It's not possible, she was dissolved to ash and disappeared like she never existed. She was lost in hell, and once you're stuck there, you can't get out, it's not possible, but here she is, starting before us, already making all of us look weak. It isn't Misty Day anymore, it can't be, I remember what she was like, kind and loving, not anymore. She's different, she's made threats to us, enough stating herself that she wants revenge and destruction, but for what? I fear to ask, but I feel like I have to, if I don't and we die, we would have died without reason. "To send a message" as she said to Kyle, not the peaceful message by the sound of it, we've put ourselves in this position, and we can't find our way out.

"How are you here?" I ask the demonic form of my former friend. "We watched you perish, we watched you die."  
"DON'T YOU DARE LIE TO ME! How long did it take for you all to replace me, huh? A week, a DAY! I TRUSTED YOU ALL! AND YOU LEFT ME IN THAT HELL TO DIE! TO DISSECT LIVING FROGS FOR GOD KNOWS HOW LONG?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO SURVIVE THROUGH THAT?! TO MANAGE TO LIVE THROUGH YOUR OWN PERSONAL HELL FOR MONTHS?! No, I doubt you would! "Dissolved to ash". DO YOU KNOW WHAT TYPE OF POWER IT TAKES TO HEAL YOURSELF FROM ASH?! Sure, a burnt corpse is one thing, but ASH?! I DRAG MYSELF OUT OF THAT HELL AND NOW LOOK AT ME! I AM FAR MORE POWERFUL THAN ANY OF YOU! CAPABLE OF CONFUSING DAY FROM NIGHT, TIME ITSELF, EVEN DRAINING THE POWER FROM YOUR PHONES! THAT IS POWER, NOW, I HAVE MORE TRICKS UP MY SLEEVE THAN ANY OF YOU!"  
Her yelling is terrifying, it drags all the fear from your heart to your skin, makes it crawl underneath it. She's completely lost the plot, crazy, violent and vengeful, willing to do whatever it takes to do what she wants, I can already tell that. Definitely not the Misty Day I used to know, this one is infuriated, murderous, and I fear that she will make her move at any time. Even Queenie is lost for words, Luna is crying out of pure fear, both things Misty Day seems to be enjoying.

"What have you become, Misty Day?" I ask her.  
"Do not call me that name! THAT IS NOT MY NAME!" she screams, loud enough to make an elephant's ears bleed, but she seems like she's calm enough to explain her new power, don't know why anyone would do that for their enemies, maybe for fear, or worse. "You've seen the effects that Kyle now copes with due to his reanimation; extreme strength and a violent temper. Well, that was one thing, but my Hell is a lot different. To be able to drag yourself out of there, that does something to you, and for me, it's made me more powerful, more powerful than any witch that has ever existed. I'm now capable of using some of the magic I wielded at your academy, among my new abilities; Corruption, Shadosis, Elektrokinesis, above many more things that belongs to the Delvish Grasp. I'm sure you'll get to see my power soon enough."  
Elektrokinesis? Just like Luna's special personal power? The Delvish Grasp? What is she talking about? What are her plans for all of us? She could have just easily have killed us already, but what she describes her power anyway. So why hasn't she? What is she trying to get out of us? What's she getting out of all of us? Her ways have always been presented as sick and tormenting, somewhat torturous in its own sick way. It's clear that Misty Day is still dead, only the shell of her former self-remains, and it pains me to see her the way she is now.

"Let us go!" Luna begs, crying out to Misty Day for mercy, but I'm sure that won't work, not anymore.  
"Is this my replacement? This, beautiful, but ultimately weak creature? You've quite out-worked yourselves, haven't you?" she walks to Luna, lowering her down so she can stare her right in the eye, her dark claw-like nails caressing the side of Luna's cheeks. "She's quite the improvement!"  
"What do you want with us?!" Queenie yells, catching her attention like a tossed coin. "You would have just killed already if that's what you wanted."  
Misty Day just laughs hysterically at Queenie, sliding her nail away from Luna as she leans down in laughter. Her laugh, with the combination of her hellish voice, sends endless chills down my spine, even to the point where it begins to hurt. This isn't right, it's just so surreal, am I having a nightmare?  
"Oh, no, no, no. Not kill you, not me doing it anyway, before all of you perish, I want two things; I want to control one of you, make them kill another one of you, then, and only then, will I allow all of you to die. But that's the question; which one of you will be the one I control, corrupt, make you my puppet?"

She begins to wander around the room, viewing all of the witches that stand before her, whistling to herself. Her smile proves to be as lethal as her intentions, her eyes as dark as her soul, probably worse. I thought my personal hell was bad, but this is worst, so much worst. I bet my hell has changed to this, and when I die, this is all that will repeat, the anticipation, the helplessness, all of it will break me within hours. She is pure evil, she knows what can break us, and she will if she has to, and it's already taking effect.  
"So who should it be? The witch obsessed with another's boyfriend, the witch with parent issues, the human voodoo doll, or the witch willing to die for a simple reanimated human. Oh, the choices! Which one, which one? Who has the most potential to kill? Who is the biggest killer?"  
Her wandering stops and she faces me, smiling like a god damn madman. It's obvious who she's chosen now, it's completely obvious, she's chosen me. Why me? Why am I the one she wants to control? I don't have a powerful special ability, it's a curse, only being able to have sex with Kyle is fine, but it's useless. I'm not extremely powerful, I'm not extremely hard to kill, why me?! WHY ME?!

"I guess I've chosen my pupil, Zoe, are you ready to feel what power really is?" she asks, smiling uncontrollably.  
"Fuck you, bitch!"  
Her hand glows a golden colour, with little forms of energy form around her fingertips, gold; the colour of fear and Corruption. Her hands find its way towards me, slowly and carefully filling up with more of the energy. I can't seem to look away from the colour, as much as I want to, I can't, this is it, I'm hers, I'm her puppet, nobody could stop her now.  
"NOOOO! Misty Day!" Kyle yells, catching her attention a split second before she could touch me. "Please, please don't do it to her! Don't control her! I beg you, take me instead."  
"Kyle, stop tal-"  
"Take me instead, I'm not a witch, but you can feel something. I know you can, something deep inside, a form of evil; anger, fear, hatred. You can use my emotion more than you can use Zoe's witch powers, I know you can! TAKE ME!"

Misty Day steps away from me, instead, staring Kyle down like he's a scared child, even leaning down to him. Shut up, Kyle. Please, stop talking to her, she's not going to do it to you, she'll kill you instead. He won't stop, he has a habit of keeping promises, even if it means him getting hurt. I could beg and it wouldn't work, he's too stubborn, I just wish he'll come to his god damn senses, c'mon Kyle.  
"How do you know what I can use?" she snarls right in his face, to the point where I saw him flinch.  
"I don't, but I have a feeling you do," he snarls back, spitting on the ground in resistance.  
She stands up and looks straight at me, those eyes looking straight into my soul like it was a paper-thin wall, her smiles stalks her eyes, joining the devilish view of her. What has he done?  
"Well, Zoe. Good news, I'm not taking you anymore! In fact, I think I'll find Kyle," she pauses, her hand inches away from his cheek. "A little more insatiable."

Her hand jams against his cheek, and at first touch, he was already screaming like he was in agony, causing me to scream his name with tears. His whole body shakes violently, the chains rustling against one other while he does so. The veins of his body begin to show, turning a bright golden glowing colour, his whole eyes turn as black as night, right to the iris. His nails become darker, his skin paler. His screaming becomes louder and far more violent than before, even to the point the light of the hut begins to fade away again. The scar under his eye grows wider and easier to see, and his hair even goes a darker blonde colour.  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HIM?!" I scream as I watch my boyfriend suffer, tears dripping down my face like a stream.  
"KYLE!" Queenie screams. "FIGHT IT!"  
"NOOOO!" Luna cries, watching Kyle as his shaking stops.

Misty Day stands up, facing the now devilish looking Kyle, smirking at her creation.  
"Rise, Kyle. Feel your new power," she says.  
At first, Kyle doesn't move, just sits in the chair, still and silent. But then he looks up, his completely black eyes staring around the room, not stopping when he sees me. He begins getting up, even breaking through the thick chains like their nothing, then kicking the chair across the room, smashing it into a thousand pieces. He stares down at his hands, clenching his fist, I can hear his knuckles crack.  
"How do you feel, Kyle?" Misty Day asks him, her nail sliding across his cheek.  
"Insatiable," he says, his voice darker than what hers is, nearly to the point of it being unrecognisable. "What is my bidding, my master?"  
Misty Day looks around the room, staring at every single one of us girls until she reaches Ciri, who's still unable to walk due to a broken leg. She begins to drag using telekinesis, away from the door and a little in front of it, in clear view of Kyle.  
"I want you to kill her. Take her life, and we can begin our destruction, together."  
"No, please, Kyle!" Ciri screams at the emotionless figure that Kyle has become. It reminds me of what he was like when he was newly reanimated but worse, worse than even that.

"He'll have to strangle her!" Queenie yells at Misty Day. "Quite the useful puppet you have."  
"Oh, no. My Corruption has allowed a bond between us, now he wields the power I wield, every single one of them. He's an absolute monster now, unstoppable, only controlled by me, powerful as ever," she looks at Kyle again. "Kyle, kill her."  
The cries of Ciri doesn't seem to bother him, nothing does, he's mindless now, she's broken him, created a shell ready to be controlled. I try to call out to him, but it doesn't work, he's gone from me, again. I just got him back, and now he's gone from me, she's taken him from me. She's corrupted him, turned him into a puppet, a mindless killing machine, and he'll do what she says now, whatever she says. My Kyle has been consumed by her unnatural power, and it's completely broken my heart. The room goes silent, and Kyle faces the one he's been forced to murder, not blinking, not showing any type of emotion, just staring. I watch him, and his eyes twitch, his newly golden veins are followed to his hands, and by the look of them, a small spark of electricity begins to form between his fingers-tips, ready to strike at his victim.

He's going to kill her, and there's nothing we can do about it. Talk about being helpless.


End file.
